Birdcage
by The Suburban Coyote
Summary: takes place at the end of "Fellowship of the ring", and the better part of "Two Towers". Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli search the dead Uruk-hai, and find a winged woman in a crate. What significance is she to Sauron? Gore around the later chapters. LxOC
1. Box

The morning sun turned her face on a rocky riverbank, sending a warm undertone to the chilled air.

An elegant elf-made canoe skimmed peacefully across the liquid crystal of the river, bearing it's ever-sleeping passenger towards his final resting place. The companions of the departed soul watched solemnly from the shade of the trees, each giving a silent prayer of rest. The mourning three were comprised of a Man, a Dwarf, and an Elf, certainly an odd collection in any situation. The man's face was framed by a tangled length of black hair that ended just over his shoulders; a silver-pommeled sword hung from his belt.

The elf to his left was short by human standards, and tall by that of his own kind. His long-fingered hand rested on the shoulder of a red-bearded Dwarf, who seemed to be doing all that was in his power to avoid bursting out in tears. As the silver planked funeral boat glided out of sight, the three remaining figures slowly began to gather their supplies. Borimir had passed on, Frodo and Sam had left them, Merry and Pippin had been mistakenly taken by the Uruk-hai in their place. With Gandalf gone, the Gimli and Legolas looked to Aragorn as their new leader. With few words, they had agreed to follow the Uruk-hai in order to rescue the younger hobbits.

Now ready to depart, Aragon raised his head to Legolas.

"We will search the Uruks. They may have some clue as to where they come from."

The elf nodded an affirmation, and lightly stepped around his friend to enter the woods.

"Gimli."

The dwarf stood.

"Search with Legolas. I shall stay and remove the remaining traces of our presence."

Gimli nodded, and began after the elf. Passing Aragorn, he paused for a moment.

"You know it wasn't your fault, laddie. He knew the risks."

His friend's voice spoke the truth, although he could not bring himself to admit it. He showed a weary tight-lipped smile.

"I know, my friend. Be off."

He turned away, listening as the heavy footsteps faded into the distance.

The sound of the river trickled into his ears.

_Goodbye, my friend._

The orcs had very little gear, proving that they had come or were going a long distance with haste. _Likely both, _thought Legolas to himself amidst the carnage.

The only semblance of luggage or supplies the vile creatures had brought with them was in the form of two crates; one thick and broad, the other slightly smaller. Gimli, having finished his search, sat across from it, cleaning his axe.

"You gonne' open that, elf?

He eyed the crates uncertainly. He did not want to know what sort of things a horde of Uruks brought while hunting. He paced towards it, crinkling his nose at the evil look of the boxes.

Black tar barely covered the shabby, damp wood, giving way to mildew and rot. Blood stained the edges. The pale elf shuddered to think what creature it belonged to. _May they rest peacefully._

He went to the smaller box first, seeing as it seemed less worn that the first. Opening it, he found a leather satchel of make uncommon amongst orc-kind. Beside it rested two large fighting-knives, similar to his own, albeit slightly less graceful in the curve of the blade. The bag contained willow-bark strips, dried roots, linen bandages, and several small viles containing clear liquid. Multicolored strings twined around the lip of the glass, each adorned with small beads in curious combinations.

Puzzled by his find, he shared the discovery with the dwarf, who was equally confounded.

"Open the other one."

Legolas was thinking of doing that exact thing.

Easing open the lid, he found it's contents no more illuminating, in fact quite surprising.

A small gasp escaped his lips.

In the box, legs and arms folded tightly, was a woman.

Her hair was long and brown, her skin was tanned and freckled with sun-spots. She was clad in a tunic and leggings of softened leather, covered with large plates of sewn-on antler. Etched into the bone were delicately trailing scripts in a foreign tongue. The strange armor was softly curved, carefully molding to her small frame. Her arms and legs were bound in roughly-made chains of silver, looping and twisting hideously over her small limbs. On her left, there seemed to be a pile of white-grey feathers pillowed underneath her. Under her right side was a mass of leather sheeting and gears, with bits of thin pipe and wire cord.

"Gimli… get Aragorn."

Gimli glanced at the figure in the box, and ran off as swiftly as his stout legs could carry him to find the human companion. The woman in the box remained as still as a corpse, leaving Legolas wondering if she was even alive at all. _And in any case, what were the Uruks doing with her in their possesion?_

_Tentatively, he moved a slender arm towards her bound hands. With a few precise pulls, the links of metal slithered off her and into a jumbled pile at the foot of the crate._

_Her eyes flicked open. _

…_..._

_Sorry if this wasn't very well-written. I'm a super massive JRR Tolkien fan, an' I've read all the books, watched the short edition movies, long edition movies, (With cast, director, and background design commentary for all three of them), I've been to LOTR summer camp, (Yes, they have that.), and this is the production that inspired me to start taking classes on costume design, Video production, and Digital animation. (The best special effects program used in the movies was M.A.S.S.I.V.E. . Check it out if you're interested in animation!) And I'm trying very hard to do it justice in my fanfic. (Yes, sister, I am a nerd. :D )_


	2. Bird

A pair of vivid purple eyes stared back at his own. The girl did not move, she only stared back. The uncomfortable silence stretched out for several moments.

The elf slowly eased his way into a low crouch.

"Hello? Were you sleeping? "

She jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, but otherwise did not respond. He tried again.

"Lorna?" _Asleep? _

She seemed surprised and wary of his question, if she understood it at all. She did not seem to be able to speak common tongue; that itself was an oddity. Perhaps she would understand Elvish.

He watched silently as she carefully uncrossed her arms and sat up. To Legolas' surprise, the feathers and leather she had been lying on seemed to be wrapped onto her back.

_Some kind of blanket?_

She rubbed and flexed her fingers, as if trying to remember their exact function.

"I-ilsa urya." _Silver burn._

She spoke haltingly, a queer accent pulling a lilt in her _ah_s and _eye_s. He wondered where it came from. _Silver burn? what could that mean? Does it have something to do with the chains?_

The light crackle of leaves underfoot alerted him to his comanions' approach.

The girl went tense. Suddenly, she was as still as a statue. Her arms gripped the edge of her crate, and she began to stand.

"Ya?" _What?_

She only stared as Aragon entered the clearing, followed closely behind by a winded-looking Gimli.

Aragorn looked taken aback by the new presence. He turned to the elf questioningly.

"Ya-nissi, Legolas?" _Who's she, Legolas?_

All he could do was return a helpless expression and watch the girl.

She looked determined and feral, as if she was readying for an attack.

Noticing this, the ranger set down the dagger that had been in his hand, and raised his hands in a sign of peace.

"I am not an enemy." he said calmly. She did not respond, unable to understand his language. Aragorn, keeping his eyes on her face, took a step towards her.

To the alarm of all present, the young woman spread her blanket…

_Wings!_ They all realized. Whoever this being was, she had one long, curved grey-and-white wing sprouting from her left shoulder, comparable to a seagull's. On her right side, there was a large leather and iron wing-shaped contraption strapped onto her back.

_There must have been another wing there, at some point. How did she lose it?_

As the graceful appendages flared out, the brunette girl _hissed_ at the human, actually baring a pair of sharp, elongated canines.

Legolas stared at the creature in wonder.

_Not once in all my long years have I seen a creature such as that!_

She was beautiful. The strong, toned body of a young woman transcended into the wild, regal look of some untamed spirit. Overall, she seemed more that matched to fight any one of the three companions.

_How did the Uruk-hai manage to capture her in the first place? She seems formidable. _

Seconds later, his question was answered.

The girl continued to stand, unmoving, staring down the dark-haired ranger. Even so, the elf-princes sensitive ears picked up the sound of shallow breathing. On closer inspection, he noted that her leather tunic, just to the left of her right shoulder, was slowly oozing into a nauseating shade of bright red.

_However she lost the wing on that side, it must have left a deep scar. She probably moved too suddenly while shifting her wings, and tore it open again. She's going to need a bandage._

He sent a warning glance at the still-frozen faces of Aragorn and Gimli, hoping they'd get the message.

_If she holds still, we could probably fix it._

His hopes were dashed as Aragorn took another step closer.

With a catlike snarl, the winged girl lunged at him.


	3. Tree

Rima lunged at the human. She didn't know who he was, or why his friends had helped her, but she had had bad experiences with humans before, and this one wasn't backing off. She had awoken to see the fair face of an elf; not what she had expected to see when she opened her eyes. The elf-man had understood her body language. Stay away, don't come close, no sudden movements. She didn't know about the dwarf yet. The man had started off alright, but he had ignored her signals and tried to come closer. Now he was a threat.

As she pounces, the dwarf lifted a large war-axe. The elf shouted something at the dwarf, and he had lowered it slightly, but she didn't want to get anywhere near the sharp weapon. At the last moment, before tackling the tall man, she twisted around and flicked her wings. Air billowed out the feathers and leather, and she jerked upwards onto a large tree branch. A blinding red pain in her back caused her to swerve, slamming her leg in the side of the branch. At the last second, she grabbed onto the rough bark, and dragged herself up into the higher branches. She crouched amongst the leaves, trying to catch her breath. She turned around to look at her prosthetic wing.

The real one was fine; folded neatly along her back. The fake one hung limply across her ribs and over the side of the tree. On the forest floor below, the elf-man and the human were arguing in their confusing blunt language. She didn't understand common tongue, and only spoke a few words of Elvish. Her own language was much older than the common language, and she had had few occasions to speak it over the last few years.

Rima sat perched in the boughs listening to the foreign sounds, straining to keep her balance. The dead weight of her metal-framed limb dragged down on her side, her muscles shook from strain. It took a moment to realize that the excange below had stopped. The three figures below looked up, watching her movements.

_Why can't they leave?_

The elf called something up to her. Gibberish to her ears. He tried in Elvish again. She could only pick up a part of it.

"Harna?" _Wounded?_

She hesitated, trying to find an ulterior motive for his concern. Unable to find one, she answered, frustrated by her own stumbling pronunciation.

"Sakkata…at. Naike." _Torn…back. Painful._

Ignoring her grammar, he nodded understandingly.

"Lende nuun?" _Come down?_

She shook her head. It felt safer up in the tree. Besides, flying down was not something within her abilities right now. Climbing? She hated to admit it to herself, but she would need to carry her fake wing down. I was simply too heavy when it was nonfunctional. She couldn't do much of anything in this state.

"Nwalya." _Pain_.

The elf sighed, then nodded acceptingly.

He began to walk towards the tree.

"Hoita!" _Stop!_

He looked up.

She gave him a distrusting glare.

"Laa sikil, laa russe." _No knife, no blade._

He gave her an almost pitying look before removing his weapons.

_Dagger, dagger, bow, arrows, short sword, throwing knives, hunting knife… this elf must be almost as paranoid as I am._

Finally disarmed, Legolas ascended the tree. As he reached the branch on which the girl was sitting, he noted that her leather appendage was causing quite a bit of drag on her shoulder. He was about to ask her to remove the device, but remembered her situation.

_She's scared of us, and she can't communicate well verbally. I am going to have to make this simple._

He pointed to her right side with his free arm, the other cradling the bag he had taken from the second box.

_It's probably hers, anyways._

This was confirmed when she narrowed her eyes at his hands.

He continued pointing.

"Raama nuun?" _Wing down?_

She nodded, making a move to unbuckle the belts holding it on over her antler bone armor.

"Merne?" _Want? _he asked, wondering if she needed help. She paused, then nodded gratefully.

He held up the contraption as she unclipped it.

As the lat clip came off, he was surprised at the full weight of the appendage.

_How could a small woman like her manage to lift this? Not to mention flying with it…_

He turned down, and handed it off to Gimli, who also felt genuine surprise at the bulk.

"Umph! Heavier that it looks."

The girl was behind him, but he could hear her give a slight hum of amusement at the dwarf's reaction. _She must wear this always, if she finds it funny to see someone struggling with it. To carry around something that heavy!_

He turned back around, to see the smirk on her lips disappear warily.

He sighed.

_We are going to have to find a new method of speaking._

Temporarily abandoning verbal communication, he pointed to her shoulder again.

Rima shifted her legs so she was sitting sidesaddle on the branch.

She still didn't trust the elf, but she still needed help. If the wound infected, she wouldn't have a chance on her own. The weak fed the strong; the survivors became stronger. She was a survivor, so she must stay strong. Weakness was not an option. It didn't matter if she trusted him or not. He was offering to make her problem easier.

She untied the back of her leather armor, slipping it off her shoulder to reveal a worn grey linen undershirt. Without hesitation, she ripped the neckline to reveal the unprotected skin of her shoulder blade. _I can sew it together when I have the time._ She grinned inwardly with a grim humor. _Time is one thing I have too much of._

The elf's expression at the sight of her scarred skin turned stony. A long, lily-shaped patch of raised silver skin tore downwards in a blunt arch, winding in on itself tightly. The centre of the raised line was ripped sideways, the taut skin breaking at her sudden movements. Several trickles of blood began to pool at the edge of her shirt-cloth, staining a gaudy crimson smear into the soft grey material.

Rima felt a spark of fire as the elf touched the side of her inflamed flesh.

She twitched, unable to ignore the jolt.

He said something again, but it didn't make sense.

She growled in frustration, angry at her inability to understand.

_My bandages are in my bag. Can I make him understand that I need it?_

"Ta…faare. Maure." _It…want. Need._

He gave har an odd look, and handed it over.

She rooted through it for a moment, and pulled out a small glass bottle with a green string wrapped around it. Uncorking the vial, Rima poured the contents over a linen bandage, and placed it over the torn skin.

A curl of steam vapor circled skywards as the material made contact, burning out infected tissue. She removed the cloth and placed it back in her pouch, sitting patiently as her helper bandaged the now-clean patch. When he finished, she laced up her tunic, and stood up on the thin tree limb.

"Maure nuun?" he asked, wondering if she still needed help with the descent. She shook her head 'no'.

"Tuule?" _Name?_

He was answered with a blank look.

"How is she now?" Aragorn called, having watched the full exchange patiently.

"Well enough." The elf answered.

'I'm trying to learn her name. She does not speak Common, and she seems to understand little Elvish."

He turned back to the bird-woman.

"Ellois? Tuule? Quente?" _Called? Name? Word?_

She understood his meaning.

"Rima."

_An odd name._ He smiled, and gestured to his companions below.

"Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas." He finished pointing to himself.

Her eyes widened.

"Laiqua Lasse?" _Green Leaf?_

He nodded.

"Yes."

Rima gave an understanding expression.

"Yuh-es. Haryon." _Prince._

With a smile of comprehension, the bird-woman turned to the side, and began climbing down the tree.

Legolas shook his head in awe, and followed suit.

_This is a strange one._


	4. Horse

…oOo…

"You do realize she is going to have to come with us now that she knows of our plans." Aragorn whispered, trying not to disturb the girl's sleeping form.

"she would be a danger to leave behind. To herself, as well as to us."

Legolas frowned slightly; his grey eyes glittering with the flames before him.

The group had made little progress that day, walking only a mile or so before preparing a fire for the night. The woman, Rima, had seemed confused by his request to follow them. She had complied nonetheless, but had expressed very clearly that she wanted to leave them as soon as possible. He had convinced her to stay with them as far as the border of Rohan, but after that she had remained adamant to stay far from the plains of the horsemen. She seemed not to understand his requests to share her reasons, replying only with 'Jinx'. They had left it at that, but things would need to be decided about the new complications.

"I do not know what to do." he admonished.

A loud dwarves snore interrupted the elf. (dwarves apparently had little patience for midnight council, as Gimli had fallen asleep sitting upright.)

Legolas allowed himself a tight smirk before continuing grimly.

"The enemy captured her, and for whatever reasons saw fit to keep her alive. She must be important to the dark one, but I do not see a motive. What use is a one-winged woman? In her state, she cannot even fly. Why her?"

His fists clenched in helpless frustration.

Aragorn gave him a look of concern.

"She must have a use of some sort to Sauron. In that case, it is all the more vital to keep her protected, whether she wills it or no."

He sighed, leaning back from the fire.

"However, I do understand your meaning." he added, glancing at her inert figure.

"she obviously has reasons for not wanting to near Rohan. I do not wish to pry, but we do need to pass the horse-lands. That is the direction in which the foul Uruks go, and so we must follow."

Legolas nodded wearily, agreeing with his friend's reasoning. They could not leave the woman alone, nor could they abandon the captive hobbits. Bringing Rima along was the most sensible and convenient solution to their dilemma.

"Agreed. We shall relay the plan in the morning."

Rima shifted slightly, trying to get her wing in a comfortable position. She felt the eyes of the Aragorn-man and Legolas-elf boring into her back. She settled again, ignoring their stares.

She didn't understand much of what they were saying, but it was plain that they were discussing her. That was always what people talked about when she was around. Before the Orc-fire, she had been the quiet one that nobody talked to. After, she had been the only one, and that made her an oddity. After all the years, she had still not gotten used to being the constant topic of speculation.

She sighed softly, hoping that the elf's keen ears would not pick up the slight noise.

_Why can't they leave me alone?_

…oOo…

Sorry, know that was short, but I really needed a transition chapter. He next one will be longer. I promise. ;) Remember, I'm always open to comments. Ideas, Flames, Philosophy of life as we know it, I'm all ears. (Not really. That would be gross. Can you imagine a giant ear walking down the street? That would be creepy.) Anyhow, just hope you enjoy.


	5. Raptor

Hullo, it's me. I'd like to thank my viewers for viewing, and my responders for responding! (I'm trying to answer all my responses from now on, but if you don't want your username mentioned, just let me know and I'll remove it.) Thank you!

bonniebeast- Me too! I used to be a total LOTR die-hard superfan, but I finally grew out of the obsessive stage. I like winged creatures too, my favorites are Griffins and Sphinxes. :D

Were girl- I'm glad you like it! (Yeah, I agree. I wish Tolkein had put more about him in the book!)

henxu- That's what this chapter is for…. Hope it answers some of your questions! ;)

**Anybody with a weak stomach, please do not read. Involves extreme violence.**

"Little dan-cing sparrow-girl, where do you fly…?" The sing-song melody drifted through the trees. A little Avien girl wandered aimlessly in the tall wild grass, swinging a little tin bucket. Looking up, she noticed that the sun had moved in the sky again.

_I gotta go home. Nana's gonna call me if I'm out longer._

Rimala pouted, angry at the thought of having to be called.

_I don' wanna go home. It's so warm outside… the sky's all blue, an' the glow-moths are out!_

The little girl giggled, flicking her seagull wings at the sight of the pale blue luminescent creatures fluttering around the ivy grove.

_But without the berries, Nana can't make charlie-bread._

She sighed in disappointment, and turned back towards the forest trail. Dry tree needles rustled under her feet. She took her time, enjoying the light breeze.

"…Little sing-ing fox-boy is loo-king for you…"

Nana wasn't really related, only a nice lady who had taken her in after her parents had died, taken out by disease. She was stubborn and snappy, but Rimala knew she was really nice. She loved cooking, and weaving, but she hated it when Rimala was late.

"…He's sear-ching for his Li-ttle bird…"

_There's first-house!_

A small brown ranger's shack marked the entrance of the little village.

She began to walk a little faster, glad despite herself to be on home territory.

"He doesn't know where she went…"

_What's that smell? Burning…_

Rimala stopped dead at the sight waiting for her.

Houses had already disappeared in piles of embers. Black orc-bodies littered the river-stone road. Gelatinous oily sludge leaked from pale eyes, slashed limbs, cuts, and in one case, the top half of a ripped torso.

Avien bodies accompanied them, some still clutching finely-made knives and rip-disks [1], made hideous by the fresh orc blood. A pair of lovers were slumped lifelessly in front of the barn, still trying to protect each other from the sudden attack. An old man, wings white with age, maintained a death grip on a rusted war-sword. All the barn creatures were gutted.

Dropping her bucket, Rimala fell to her knees in disbelief.

_Nana._

Her mind went numb, unable to process the despairing information her eyes were giving her.

_Is this real? Am I dreaming? I want so bad to be dreaming._

The people could only have been dead an hour at least, but already the air was musted and thick.

Arms shaking, Rimala stood.

She couldn't cry. The tears wouldn't come. It still seemed too unreal. She floated detachedly past half-eaten bodies. The surviving orcs had been hungry.

Finally, Rimala came to a little grey house, lined around the outside walls with little white flowers. Trailing honeysuckle climbed up the sides of the house and onto the grass-covered roof.

Nana was on the floor, a pool of clotting blood surrounding her head in a hideous halo. Sprawled around her were the bodies of over six mutilated orcs. A pair of Dee-ka daggers [3] rested by her limp arms.

_Nana was always tough at Dee practice._[2]

Rima fell to the ground again, rolling into a fetal position.

_Nana. I'm late. I'm sorry. I'm late._

Tears of frustration and internal pain finally drew from her eyes.

_Nana. Nana. Say hi to papa and mama for me._

She was still curled up in a little ball when nighttime came.

The sounds of ripping meat and tearing cloth alerted her to the presence of scavenging animals. Eyes swollen and pink, she sat up.

_They're eating them. They're eating the others._

A wave of fury rose in her chest, sending a massive flash of red in her mind. She stood, wings trembling in uncontrollable anger.

_They're eating them. They're eating them._

Almost unaware of her actions, she shuffled over to Nana, and picked up the Dee-ka knives.

_Stop eating them. Stop eating the others._

She opened the door. Raccoons, rats, _Lychich_ [4], a bear. All pawing at the corpses of the villagers, none willing to so much as touch the orcs. It wasn't fair.

"Stop eating them." she whispered.

A few rats scattered; the larger animals continued eating.

"Stop eating them. They were good. Eat the bad ones."

They ignored the small Avian, continuing their feast.

A Lychich ripped a bloody chunk out of a man's arm, devouring it messily.

"I SAID, STOP EATING THEM!" she screamed, flaring out her wings.

She ran towards the creatures blindly, slashing fur and tendons as she went. She could barely even feel the sting of claws and teeth, her fury was so complete. She soared in complicated twists and swirls, not even stopping to plan out her next move.

Instinct carried her away in a tornado of blood and gore.

She didn't even stop slashing when they were all dead, she just kept screaming and tearing as tears and blood mingled on her face and in her hair.

"STOP EATING THEM! STOP EATING THEM!"

Her screams died into wailing coughs as the sun rose.

Exhausted at last, Rimala dropped the knives from her blood-drenched arms, and fell back. She watched as the sun drifted past the trees. There were no clouds. The sky was a bright robin's-egg blue.

_It's so pretty outside. I don't want to go home now, Nana. It's so warm._

She sighed, and closed her eyes. In a hoarse voice, she restarted her lullaby.

"Little dan-cing sparrow girl, where do you fly?

Little sing-ing fox boy is wai-ting for you.

He's searching for his lit-tle bird

She flew a-way."

[1]- **Rip-disks**- weapons unique to the Avian race. Like brass knuckles, but instead of metal knobs over the finger-rings, they have a razor-sharp mithril semicircle blade.

[2]- **Dee**- In Avian villages, children are taught self-defence from the age of 6. In this flashback, Rima is 10. Dee is a form of martial art (again, unique to Avians) that teaches the use of ordinary everyday objects as lethal weapons.

[3]- **Dee-kan**- Dee level 20- avians are immortal, but they are considered adults at age 20. Dee at this level teaches long-range combat involving sharp objects ricocheting back to hit a opponent more than once.

[4]- **Lychich (no, not the tennis player)**- A large feline scavenger, about the size of a wolverine. Has the body of a cloud leopard, and the head of a small brown Shetland pony. Carnivorous, and rarely domesticated.


	6. Pond

bonniebeast- Thank you so much! I'm glad you're liking it! :D I only started writing around the beginning of this October. Let me know when you start your story!

Shades-soul- I'm working on it. (I'm one of those people who gets grumpy when other people don't write fast enough, but is too busy reading to get off my own arse and start working. I'm fun like that).

DarkAngel620- I like the unexpected. It's so surprising. :P *derp face*

…...

They had been running for three days, and tonight, Legolas was on night watch.

He looked up at the stars, thinking about the past day, and what it meant for the future of the fellowship.

_And the girl._

His bright eyes flicked involuntarily in her direction. In the dim gleam of the night sky, he could see her rolled up in his cloak. (He could not feel the cold, even through his light tunic.) She lay on her side, her light breathing coming out in a soft snore. Her leg twitched, as though she was trying to run in a dream.

It brought a slight smile to his lips.

_She seems unusually calm about what has happened. It makes me wonder what has happened to her to make traveling with a group of strangers seem like a normal routine._

He and Gimli had explained their route the day before. She had protested, mingling Elvish and her own strange language in a frustrated jumble. Eventually, she had fallen silent, a determined look across her face that made everyone feel uneasy.

_She's troubled by something._

He sighed, resigned to whatever strange things that would come from this.

_After all, there is not much we can do about her challenges. Not until she can speak with us, at any rate._

Rima was having a nightmare.

She knew it was a dream, but it was one of those dreams that keeps going on even when you realize it for what it is. She knew from the beginning, for she had seen this particular dream many times before.

The sky was a shade of the deepest black; trees grew in bone-white knobbly forms that nature had never intended.

Grass like long grey insect feelers brushed unpleasantly against her bare legs, making her feel as if thousands of ants swarmed around her bare skin. She stood at the edge of a deep grey pool. She looked into the depths and saw nothing, not even her own reflection. Only a wide expanse of chalky grey liquid, willing her to step in. Without even thinking about what she was doing, she waded into the ooze. The clay beneath her feet squished revoltingly and made a sickening _sl-u-uuur-urp _as she stamped closer and closer towards the middle of the lake. Soon it was up to her shoulders, pulling tackily down on her pale wing. She stumbled and fell under the surface. Little bubbles trickled from her mouth as she sank deeper than the original depth would have allowed. She looked to the sky, knowing that she needed air but somehow not caring. She closed her eyes, waiting for the black oblivion that would release her from the awful dream-world.

She waited. This time it was different.

This time, she could hear someone singing. The soft voice seemed to tug at her, pulling her body towards the surface. With a great heave of effort, she moved her leaden arms and swam towards the surface. The water began to clear, no longer its original chalky grey paste. Her limbs moved freely through the cool water. She could look up at the sky from the depths and see shimmering light sparkling across the lake top.

Finally, she surfaced, gasping for breath and wiping her tangled hair from her eyes. Rima could hear the voice still, and as she looked to the east, she could see a great red fox yipping at the sky.

"Rima… Rima… Echuiv, Rima." _Rima… Rima… Wake up, Rima._

She groaned, and opened her weary eyes.

A pair of warm ice ones looked back at her own.[1]

Legolas smiled as she arose, rubbing her weariness from her tired eyes. Aragorn and Gimli were already awake, busy hiding all traces of their presence.

"Echuiv sii'?" _Awake now?_

She nodded.

"Echuiv. A-hoo-ache. Awoo-ake."

Gimli, currently attempting to brush out his boot-prints from the previous night, laughed loudly at her attempt to speak common. Rima looked surprised and confused at his sudden outburst.

"Mani… l-a-f? Mankoi?_ What… l-a-f? Why?_

The Dwarf snorted good-naturedly at her Common-Elvish hybrid of speech.

"What laugh? You, lass! What with all yer've picked up so far, you'll be yammerin' in common-tongue in no time! That's when I'll be teachin' you Dwarvish!"

He leaned in.

"Can't have too much o' that pointy-ear speak clogging up yer pretty head, can ye now?"

He tapped his nose, as if allowing her to take part in some inside joke.

Rima stared at him blankly.

"Tel'ondo-carak ve'lle a' naug." _The stone-tooth wants you to speak dwarf. _Legolas clarified.

"Oh."

She stared for a moment, apparently trying to find proper words.

"N'uma, Gimli. Ie-I yeste' l-lern Elf. Dw-ar-uf speak sai' hard. L'angon il quel."

Aragorn and Legolas tried vainly to hide their grins.

Translated properly, without the errors, she had basically told the dwarf that she would like to learn Elvish before Dwarvish, and that Dwarvish hurt her throat to speak anyways.

Gimli looked nervously at his bemused companions.

"What? What did she say?"

"She says that she would like to learn one language at a time, and that maybe after she has mastered common she will take you up on your offer." Legolas answered, after finally managing a straight face.

The dwarf grunted, not quite satisfied with her answer.

"Ghul. Bi ghul" _Good. [she is] good. _he muttered, slipping into his native tongue.

Aragorn stood straight, finished with his task of hiding their imprints on the ground.

"Very good. Let us be off."

Four hours and three short breaks later, Rima felt as if her legs were no longer part of her; as if they had miles ago turned to iron-lead wheels constantly turning. She was not used to long distances; Before her accident, she usually flew wherever she needed to go. Afterwards, she had simply walked until she found some place in which she could lay low for awhile before moving on.

Now, perpetually racing across seemingly endless dust-green plains, she doubly wished for her second wing back.

She could of course use her artificial one, already buckled on tightly and ready in case of emergency. However, her pale silvery-purple scar had not yet re-closed.

_Besides, at least I'm not the slowest of our group._

She turned back briefly, sparing a glance at the red-faced dwarf puffing away behind her.

Looking back forwards, she saw Aragorn, followed closely behind by Legolas.

She constantly marveled at his sheer speed and endurance. Never before had she seen a Human man outrun an Elf, not even in the heat of battle. Even against the slowest of Elves, a man would be hard-pressed indeed to even hope to keep pace. And Legolas was by no means a slow Elf.

"Le-go-las!" she called. He did not turn, but she saw a quick dart of his eyes and a slight nod that displayed to her that he was listening.

"Gimli enas lorda!"

A slight nod acknowledged her observation.

"Hurry up, Gimli! We are gaining on them!"

A series of deep breaths came from behind her.

"I am wasted on cross-country! We Dwarves are natural sprinters!"

Rima smiled through her exhaustion; she could only pick up clips of what the befuddled Dwarf was saying, but it was obvious he had yet to release a shred of his large pride.

"Very dangerous over short distances!"

At that she let out a stream of laughter, unable to believe the group of strange characters she had somehow found herself mixed up with.

_So long as I am not needed near Rohan, I would very much like to meet these 'Hob-bit' creatures we are looking for._

With that thought in her mind, her eyes went dark and her face turned somber.

_If even at all they are alive._

Despite the ever-growing numbness in her limbs, Rima ran faster, determined to find the missing members of her fellowship. All the while, a song played through her head that calmed her frantic breathing.

"Kila dam'a Avien, ba hun sail'in…?" [2]

"…Kila simsi dak'a u, ki a lin…"

"…Te'sa tehi ava-hi…"

"…Sa sail'in ka-r'i."

_Little singing sparrow-girl, where do you fly?_

…_Little dancing fox-boy is waiting for you… _

…_He is looking for his little bird…_

…_she flew away._

[1]- Yeah, I know 'warm ice' is an oxymoron, but it just seemed to fit.

[2]- singing in Spynix.

(By the way, I hope nobody's checking over my Elvish and Dwarvish, because the only sites I can find to translate are so crappy they make Legolas sound like a caveman. Wouldn't that be a weird story? 'Lord of the wheel: Book 1, The fellowship od the wheel'

Maybe yes? Oh well. Let me know if you know of any better translation sites!)

Read, enjoy, review! Even flames are welcome!

(They usually incorporate brutal honesty, which can be useful.)


	7. Gull

bonniebeast- LOLs nice! (I do the same thing.) It feels great to get reviews like this, 'cause it's exactly what I'm going for. I don't want to sound cheesy or anything, but I did some deep soul-searching awhile back, and I realized that I don't particularly care what job I get later on in life, so long as I can be the reason someone smiles. At my old school, I used to be bullied a lot, and for me the best escape was to draw cartoons or read books. You know how sometimes you'll have a really bad day, and then you see or hear something that makes you feel like everything's alright? I want to make that something. (Sorry if this sounds too preachy-therapeutic or anything, just tryin' to _'keep it real with my home dogs, fo' shizzle'_. …You get what I mean.).

Unbeausaumon- Thank you for the suggestion! I'll check it out.

(.com is garbage. Never use that site. EVER.)

…...

Alright, just felt like letting you know, so you aren't confused later on.

I feel as if this story is getting a bit dull. So, to shake it up a bit, Rima is really a dragon in disguise, Aragorn isn't with them, and Merry and Pippin are actually seven-foot-tall multicolored flower children dressed as penguins. Oh, and Legolas is a frog. With two heads. Enjoy!

HAHAHA! Did I get'cha? No? Oh, well. I had my fun. On with the real story!

(Ignore me, I'm insane.)

…...

_Ugh. Running for days and nights with hardly a rest… Oh, how I wish I had flight! _

Rima sprinted hurriedly after Legolas' silver-green form, accompanied by Aragorn. Through her delicately curved ears, she could hear the gasping breaths of Gimli behind her.

_It must be difficult, running all this distance while bearing mail so cumbersome. Doubly so paired with short Dwarvish legs! It is a wonder he can keep up at all. The Dwarves truly are a stubborn race. This one especially._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a burst of speed as the company turned on the dusty grass, encompassing a large mountainous rock.

Rima looked back as a loud series of metallic clunks sounded at her back.

Her trailing glance caught sight of Gimli stumbling back to his feet after a particularly comical roll.

"Aargh! M' up! M' up!"

"Le innas cuia, gond'anc.", _You will live, boulder-teeth _Rima muttered peevishly, for although she was normally in complete control of her outward emotions, the last few nights had taken a toll on her temper. It was not in Avien nature to be uncovered in the darkness, and she longed for a leafy tree of which to rest under. She was not alone in this regard; even Aragorn with all his meditative calm had been showing a bristly distemper towards their increasingly frantic task.

Rima's feet stumbled underneath her as their pace slowed suddenly. Only Legolas' quick grab of her shoulders kept her from toppling head over heels, straight into the path of a great host of horse-riders.

"Legolas?" He turned his head towards her.

"R-roch…echil?" _Horse… Humans?_ she whispered, a slight tremor in her voice.

Legolas nodded, uneasy by the obvious worry in her expression.

_What is it about this land that makes her so nervous? It cannot be the terrain, nor the horses._

Before he could vocally question her fears however, Aragorn gave them a signal to follow.

As they stepped into the open, the man gave a cry to the Rohirrim.

"What news of the north, riders of Rohan?"

Rima frantically covered herself with the Elf's cloak, covering her wings before flicking up the hood to shadow her vivid purple eyes.

The horsemen turned in perfect symphony towards the foreign figures, arching in a great circle to surround them with spears at the ready. A tall man with golden-brown hair, likely their leader, spurred his mount foremost of the host to face the group.

"What does a man, an Elf, a Dwarf, and a cloaked wanderer have in these lands?" he demanded, the sound of his command resounding as one who is not used to being ignored.

"Speak quickly!"

Gimli straightened, annoyed by the tone.

"Give me your name, _Horsemaster_, and I will give you mine."

Rima groaned inwardly.

_He is going to get us killed. A pox on his mulish stubbornness! _

The infuriated rider turned to the offending person, dismounting.

"I would cut off your head, _Dwarf_, if it stood little higher from the ground."

Faster than even Rima's eyes could follow, Legolas' bow was fitted with an arrow and pointed between the Human's eyes. The already-close spear tips raised higher.

"You would die before your stroke fell."

Moving carefully, Aragorn put his hand over his friend's bow and gently but forcefully pointed it to the ground, giving him a look that all but spoke. _Tread lightly, we are on thin ice as it is._

"I beg your pardon. Perhaps once you learn more of our situation, you may understand my companions' temperament. I am Aragorn of Gondor, this is Gimli Gloin-son, and this is Legolas son of Thranduil, king of mirkwood. Our fourth companion goes by the name of Rima."

"Rima?"

The other man stepped forwards.

"An odd name, boy. Be you Human or Elf? Dwarf, if not them?"

Rima glared out from under her hood in annoyance. She did not comprehend his quick manner of speech, but she did not fancy his arrogant stance.

"Legolas, Im av-henia Roch-echil. Man cered e ped?" _Legolas, I do not understand him. What does he say? _she asked, her position rigid.

"He questions your name, your gender, and your race." he answered in common.

Rima was familiar with his slower, flowing speech, and untangled his words without too much effort.

Lowering her hood to reveal her aquiline face, she spoke haltingly in accented common. She was sure to keep her violet irises fixed on the ground.

"I… not-Elf. Not man, female. Rima no-guardian. West from come me. Myself."

Aragorn kept his eyes pinned on the taller man, looking for a reaction.

"A woman? Traveling with men, across the plains of Rohan? I shall not question your reasons. I am Eomer, sister-son to Theodin, our king. Again I ask, what business do you have in these lands?"

"We have been tracking a band of Uruk-hai moving swiftly through the eastern plains." Aragorn answered.

"They have taken two of our friends captive. They are Halflings, although perhaps only children to your eyes. Have you heard speak of such a band?"

With this question, Eomer's stature seemed to diminish slightly, and his eyes grew darker.

"We came across only one group of such creatures, not two days ago . We piled the carcasses and burned them, as is our custom. 'Twas not three leagues from here."

He faced them gravely.

"We saw none but orcs."

The four travelers turned silent.

"Dead, then?" Gimli ventured, hardly daring to wish otherwise.

Eomer shook his head sadly.

"We left none alive."

Rima muttered a quiet luck-prayer in her native tongue.

Quiet numbness filled the moments.

Eomer lifted his head, and called out to one of his lieutenants. A brown-bearded man in rusted mail circled 'round with a pair of stallions, one pale grey and the other a deep woody brown.

"You may use these steeds on behalf of their previous masters. May your fate prove more fortunate than their own."

The accepted the horses in quiet gratitude, and bid farewell as the great host turned and rode off.

Rima mounted the grey steed and said nothing as Legolas lept on behind her. The Elf's slender arms wrapped around her to grasp the reins, and she gripped the saddle to keep seated as he whispered the creature into a steady gallop.

_The Eomer-man mentioned orcs, and burning. The orcs must have been slain and burned. What of the Hob-bits? They may still be alive._

"Le-golas?" she mumbled.

He looked down to her face, curtained by a length of dusty-brown hair.

"Hob-bits… sad-hain-nedh… haeron?"

The corner of his mouth lifted a fraction at her hidden question.

"Al hae." _Not far._

"Oh."

She stared blankly at the horizon.

Legolas chuckled.

Rima marveled the sound.

_Like bells, but without the harsh metallic sting of the notes. Almost like reed-pipes and bird-trills._

Still grinning softly, he nudged her shoulder with the in of his elbow.

"It will still be awhile. You may sleep, Gwael." _Gull._

She nodded slightly and relaxed, leaning until she was comfortably perched between the horse and his lightly armored chest.

The two horses thundered on across the plains, moving steadily closer to their distant destination.

Rima smiled as she drifted off, rocked to sleep by the thunder of hooves on firm grasslands and the muffled _da-dump of a steady heartbeat._

…_..._

_I was in a fluffy mood. :D Again, all requests, ideas, thoughts, philosophies of the cosmos, any input is welcome. Thanks for reading!_

_(Oh, and unbeausaumon ? **C o u n c i l o f e l r o n d . c o m** worked well. Thanks again for the help!)_


	8. Dragon

bonniebeast- Thank you very much! I'm glad I can help. I do the same thing. :D I'm kinda in the same situation with books just not being available. I've read every book in our library that involves fantasy themes. Honest. Our librarian actually ASKS ME where certain books are when SHE CAN'T FIND THEM. Actually, it was desperation to find something decent to read that led me to this site. : ) Problem is, I have three little brothers, four parents, and two sisters to deal with as well. =P

…...

Legolas stood amidst piles of smoldering orc-corpses, searching against hope for signs of civilized life, as Gimli flicked shells of gruesome armor and limbs off a decomposing heap. Aragorn, pacing in seemingly random patterns, searched frantically for Halfling footprints. He found few, and they were no help in tracking their location.

Gimli started in surprise, and gravely lifted his sad find.

"'Tis one of their wee elven belts."

Legolas closed his eyes, and gave a quiet prayer of peace to his small friends.

_May their souls find rest, and depart without difficulty._

He raised his eyes to the sky, watching carefully as Rima circled above.

Rima flew painfully at first, but found ease as she glided over warm air currents.

Her scar was still not fully healed, and as such she should not yet be airborne, but she had convinced Aragorn to allow her to search the skies for their missing companions.

The wind cooled, and she shifted her arm to tighten the cords connected to the leather flight membrane.

The wing itself was connected to her back by a series of belts of varying size, and the artificial tendons that controlled it ran down her arm trough a stiff armored bracer, allowing her to manipulate it's movements with the twist of her wrist. The true strain of the contraption was at her shoulder blade, though;

All her muscles had to be set to their limits as she supported her own weight with naught but her own strength. It had forced her to practice grueling workouts to keep her slight frame in balance, and it helped keep her body toned perfectly through the last few spans of her life. [1]

Her lavender eyes swept the ground, daring them to find something, _anything,_ that showed the presence of the Hob-bit creatures.

Down below, she heard Aragorn give a heart-wrenching scream of frustration and emotional pain. He fell to his knees, despairing entirely.

Legolas said another prayer in Elvish. Gimli simply leaned against his axe, eyes closed.

_They must be alive. They cannot have simply disappeared. They have left too much behind to simply disappear. I will not allow it._

Turning in a steep nosedive, Rima twirled in a less-than-graceful landing, stumbling to a halt only inches away from a large gnarled tree-trunk.

She may have been mistaken; but she could have sworn she could hear it say something.

It was an almost familiar, like a very old version of her own native tongue.

"_Dddddiii-sssstuuuurrrbaaaaaaaaanceeeee…. Creatuuuuuuuuure…liiiitt-llllleeee-hu-man…."_ it creaked, groaning like winds in the eves.

"Aragorn! Legolas! Gim-li! C-ome! Orn…T-alk! S-p-eak! Say… Hob-bit… TELI!" _tree, come._

Aragorn was the first to approach her, head raised by the sudden spark of hope.

"Orn pedo!"

The ranger's brow furrowed in thought.

Legolas came up behind him, accompanied by Gimli.

"What is it, Aragorn? What news?"

The puzzled man turned to the Dwarf and The Elf.

"She says that the trees are speaking to her. Does this bring any memories of legend?"

Legolas's eyes widened in awe.

"an I Valar…" _By the Valar._

"You say you can understand them? The Elves taught them to speak, many thousands of years ago, before my time. Over the ages, much of this knowledge was lost. Many of the tree-herders, the _Enyd, _have gone into dormancy. You claim you can communicate?"

She nodded uncertainly.

_It is old and uncommonly accented, but similar enough. Maybe._

"Do you suppose… You could ask them if the Hobbits have been through here?"

She nodded again.

"Take time. W-ait?"

The three men nodded.

She smiled shakily, and sat down, unbuckling her heavy wing in the process.

_If It is what I think it may be, I will need to take a long time to explain and question._

Her eyes flicked to Legolas, sitting cross-legged by Gimli, appearing to be in deep conversation.

She smiled, and turned back to the tree trunk.

Rima took a deep breath to enjoy the warm summer air, preparing to begin.

She did not notice the ice-blue Elvish eyes that twitched to her periodically, as though their owner's thoughts drifted to her repeatedly.

_Gwael._

[1]- Aviens measure time in _Spans_, not years, due to their immortality. (A Span would be equal to about ten human years.) Rima would commonly be considered young among her own kind, being only a few dozen spans old. You'll find out more about her life later on.

: )

Sorry I'm taking longer than usual to update. I've been working on the beginnings of two more stories, one of which has been published. :D (For those of you who might be interested, it's another Legomance, although exceedingly fluffier. : ) .) Check it out if you want! Remember, I live on this site. I check for reviews periodically every one to six hours or so. EVERY. DAY. I have no boyfriend, no close BFF's, and few hobbies. Coupled with a lock on my door, I have plenty respond-to-ideas time. : )

REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!REVIEW! REVIEW!

ALL IDEAS ARE WELCOME! THEY MAKE MY SOUL HAPPY! REVIEW!


	9. Deer

_There._

Rimala crouched behind a cluster of thick-leaved shrubs, stalking her prey.

_I am the predator. It is the prey. The strong live; the weak feed the strong or become _

_strong themselves._

Those were the rules she lived by; those were the rules that had kept her alive for the last six spans after the orc-burning. They had kept her standing. Not always in the best of health, but standing.

Her target lifted it's graceful head, cocking it's ears alertly.

Rimala took note of it's long-pronged antlers and wickedly sharp hooves.

She shifted her grey-speckled wings, preparing to pounce.

Suddenly, a spray of arrows flew from her left, jabbing and shredding at her prey. The large creature bent it's thin legs and sprang, darting away into the thicket.

Voices of men drifted towards her, accompanied by the dull pounding of hooves.

_That was my kill. My kill, and they made me lose it._

Rima stood, facing the direction of the noise.

Arrows continued to fly past her, albeit at a less frantic pace.

A dull thudding push rocked her back on her heels. Her whole right side was numb for a few precious seconds before she was engulfed in a sharp wave of heat. Rima fell to the ground. She tried to yell, but only managed a choked groan as her chest clenched. Almost afraid to look, she craned her neck around to see the bright yellow fletching of one of the arrows impaled in her wing. Broken feathers and shredded down soaked in an ever-growing dribble of blood were shredded around the entry wound.

She must have blacked out for a moment; as she opened her eyes she saw two dark-haired men standing over her. She shifted to roll and felt a stab of pain in her back.

The men spoke to her and gestured angrily at the underbrush. They seemed to be angry about the deer.

_Help me… it hurts…_

She wanted to ask for their help, she wanted to tell them not to yell; her head was pounding and her vision swam with black and yellow spots of light.

When she didn't answer, the men pulled at her wings, yelling louder.

_Stop it…_

The taller man reached down and yanked viciously at her wounded wing, pulling out a great handfull of feathers. Rimala gave a cry of pain and surprise, and without conciouslythinking about her actions, bit his hand. The man screamed. He riiped his hand away and kicked her hard in the abdomen. All the air seemed to be pulled from her lungs; she gasped desperately for air.

_Stop it…_

She lay still, not daring to anger the man further.

The two humans shouted awhile longer, apparently losing interest.

They spoke to each other for a moment, and the shorter of them began to walk away.

The one who had delivered the kick gave her a withering look, and grabbed hold of the imbedded arrow. He twisted it cruelly, causing another pained yelp, before ripping it out with a sickening _Slr-rrp._

He shot her one last evil glance before stalking away after his companion, leaving Rimala to shudder on the cold forest floor.

Hours, minutes, seconds passed. Still, she stared vacantly at the leaves beneath the trees.

Nobody came. Nobody heard her, crying quietly in the ferns.

_Help me… it hurts…_

…_..._

Sorry this was so short… My step dad and I had an argument, and he keeps turning off the wifi. I stared at the computer for half an hour for it to come on earlier, and I had to write quickly in the time since then. (I have bad time-management skills.) Im glad he's a perfectionist, and has a big workload. His internet should be on for a few more minutes. Read, enjoy, review! GOTTAGOBYE!


	10. Sprout

Kaida awoke roughly from her tortured nightmares. Dusk had fallen; her three companions slept deeply a few paces away. She could see Legolas' blank eyes glinting with the light of distant stars, staring off in some far-off waking dream. Such was the fashion of the Elves.

_What was I doing?_

She crossed her legs and sat up. A crisp plains wind bit through her bone armor and leather jerkin, rustling through the trees as it swept past.

_Oh yes._

She remembered the exchange between herself and the old tree before her.

_It was very old. It's name was something long…_

'_Tree-who-has-grown-from-a-small-seed-brought-far-by-wind-from-distant-forest-over-the-hills-where-limbs-grow-thin-and-strong-with-thick-bark-and-slender-leaves-that-turn-gold-and-fall-as-the-sun-moves-and-the-great-cold-seeps-over-the-land,-causing-the-forests-to-go-bare-as-the-frames-of-dead-creatures-after-many-summers-in-the-southern-lands-very-far-away.' [1]_

_Or something akin to that._

She struggled to recall the basic information she had gathered. She had asked few questions, and had despaired at the extensively detailed answers.

'_Tree-from-small-seed-from-distant-land-very-far-away, have you heard mention of the creature called the hobbit? The creatures I speak of may have passed by here, and my companions and I have need of finding them."_

The tree had mused over her short words a very long time before answering in it's long, creaking tones.

"_You speak haaastilyyyyy, Bird-that-is-girl-from-far-lands-where-the-air-is-sweet-and-the-trees-grow-tall-who-is-wiser-than-her-years-and-yearns-for-something-she-does-not-know-of-until-the-entwives-make-their-journey-to-the-nearer-lands-and-sing-once-again-in-the-times-of-peace. [2]. Iiiii have feeel-t a deep stiiiiring in myyy rootsss which haaaave nooot mooo-oov-ed in a ver-y long tiiime. Ooooorcs caaaame, they hackeeeed and saaaawed aaat the liiiiiimbs of myyy kindreeeee-d. They feeeelled liiive limbsssss-s, ans saaaaaaaawed thaaa-aat of which-ch-h theeeey shoullll-d noot. Theeeeeeey brough-hght a pair of sma-a-llish creeatuuuures, the like of who-om I have no-o-t seen be-fore once in my ma-nyyy long w-i-n-ters. They cliiiiiiiimbed on theeeeir little…. What do yooooooour kiting cal-l them? Little stumped thing-gs…'_

'_Legs?' _she had asked, impatient for a true answer.

'_Ah, ye-es. Legs. Straa-ange things, legs. Oddly gro-own things. Mo-ost peculiar. May-be I sh-a-ll groooow a paaaair myseeeeeeeeelf… most peculiar. Ind-eeeeed. Yes, well, they scra-bbled ver-y ha-stilly o-ver the smaller plantiiings, (May-beee too hastillley. You two-leg-gs are ver-y hasty. All-waaaaays trying to gooo somewh-e-r-e. Aaaaand whaat do you doooooooo when you geeeeet there? You speeeeeeeend your tiiiiiime fiddliiiiiing and fumbliiiiiiiiiing with your little top-leeeeeeeeeegs. Srange things, toooooooop-legs, straaaaaange braaaaaanches, yoooooooooooour kind haaaaaaaaaaave.) And… what was I sayyyyingggg… Top-legs, bottom-leeeeeegs, …Strange thiiiiings, bottom-legs…._

'_Yes, very strange things.' _Rima agreed quickly.

'_I believe you were telling me where the hobbits were?'_

'_Ah, yeeees. Theeeeeeeeeeey met someooooooone, someooone ver-r-y oooooold, very oooooooold indeeeeeed. Theeeeeeeeeeeeeey left wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiith the ooooold one. Saaaaaaaaaafe in the tithers, theeeeeeeeey aaaaaaaaaare. I -harumph- am glad theeeeeeeey are, tooooo. I don't knooooooooooow howw-w they suu-uurv-ive with tho-ose thin bark-skins o-o-o-of theeeirs. Tooooo delicaaaaaaaaaaate. You muuuuuust grow a thiiiiiiiiiick baaaaaark-skiiiiin of yooooour oooooooown, Bird-that-is-girl-from-far-lands-where-the-air-is-sweet-and-the-trees-grow-tall-who-is-wiser-than-her-years-and-yearns-for-something-she-does-not-know-of-until-the-entwives-make-their-journey-to-the-nearer-lands-and-sing-once-again-in-the-times-of-peace. Iiiiit wiiil keeee-eeep yousaaaaaaaafe frooom the cooooold sto-orm that is-ssss-s cooooming. A sapling like yooooooooou neeeeeeds a thick baaaaaark to keeeeeep yoursellllf safe, saaaaaaafe from the stooooooooooorm.'_

'_Yes, I will be sure to do that' _she had promised.

'_Now, do you know anything else about my companions?'_

'_Good. You wiiiiiiill neeeeeeeeeeeeed somethiiiiiiiing to proteeeeeect yourseeeeeeelf in the cooooo-ming coooold. Do you prooooooooooomise you willlll stay saaaaaaafe in the frossssst? A greeeeeeeeat many yooooooooouuuung sprooooooooouts witheeeeeeeeeeer from the froooooost.'_

'_Yes, I promise!' _She groaned, exasperated with the old tree.

'_Now, do you have anything else to tell me? I have a very long distance to travel, and I have not slept in days.' _Rima yawned.

'_No, yyoung sproooooooout. Nooooothing eeeeelse. Sleeeeeeeep, sproooooooooouuut. Leeeet your braaaaaaanches reeeeeeeeach to the heavensss-sss. Beeeeeee greeeeeen and freeeeeeesh, and malady yourr truuuuuuuuuuuunk beeeeeeeend in the gaaaaaaaales to cooooooome.'_

'_Thank you, Elder tree-from-far-away. Good night.'_

With that, she had drifted off, barely conscious of the amused mutterings of the old tree.

"Silllyyyyyyy sprooout. Not yeeeeet fouuund it's rooooooooot-reeeeest, and alreeeeeady tooooo big to pleasant. Groooooow biiiiiiiiiiig and liiiiiiiiiiimber, little sproooooooooooout.'

It whispered fondly, rattling it's old limbs in the cool breeze. Within moments, Rima was asleep.

She looked up at the now-silent tree.

_Probably in another deep sleep._

She sighed and stood, stretching her weary limbs and stiff joints.

_Oh well._

Rima paced towards her sleeping friends, snoring softly on the swaying grasslands.

_Onwards, and forwards. Time to get going again._


	11. Headache

Arab57g- Thanks for enjoying! It pleases me greatly. :D

[1]- I forgot to make an explanation for the super-long names in the last chapter. Trees and Ents are supposed to have very long and complicated names that describes them and explains their background as they grow. Aviens have two names, one treeish and one birth-named, because they were so close to nature. (Hence the similar language.) Rima, AKA Rimala Deekanasa, (Last name given after showing excelled accomplishment at Dee, meaning 'Fighter of fortitude'). Her second name is learned instinctually as she grows. (Hence "_Bird-that-is-girl-from-far-lands-where-the-air-is-sweet-and-the-trees-grow-tall-who-is-wiser-than-her-years-and-yearns-for-something-she-does-not-know-of-until-the-entwives-make-their-journey-to-the-nearer-lands-and-sing-once-again-in-the-times-of-peace"). _Ents and trees do not give out their true names to strangers, but the one she was talking to had forgotten this due to many centuries of hibernation.

…...

Legolas awoke swiftly, and was greatly relieved to hear that the hobbits Merry and Pippin were safe.

Gimli was pleased as well, although you could not tell it by his actions.

"Humph. Well, good it is. I, however pleased, have good mind giving the foolish creatures a word or two when we find them! Imagine! Creatures as smallish and youngish as they, running off after Orcs and Uruks, blast their stinking hides, armed with little more with their wits and a few stones. The stones, small as they were, still proved bigger and stronger than their wits in any case! Aye, I'll be giving them a talk or two."

With that, he tottered off to sharpen his axe-blade.

Rimala smiled at the obviously heartened Dwarf.

"He speak… small …of Hob-bit. What I wonder Hob-bit say of little Dwarf?"

Legolas tried his hardest not to burst out in laughter.

_Little Dwarf indeed. I have half a mind to tell him so, if only his pride could take it._

Hours later, the company was a league into the ancient forest of Fangorn, horses trailing wispily behind them. Aragorn surveyed the dusty trees with a kind of wary respect, Rima with a look of mildly annoyed boredom.

"hat is wrong?" Legolas asked, curious as to the reason of her apparent irritation.

"Trees…Speak. Same. All as…Same. Once." she replied, her tone making obvious her growing aggravation.

"They are all speaking at once?"

The Avien nodded.

_I had forgotten her connection to the trees; with all the leaves in this forest whispering warnings to each other of our approach, it is a wonder she hasn't completely lost her temper as of yet!_

His thoughts were proven incorrect as she shouted a stream of angry hisses into the air, earning a sharp glance from Aragorn up ahead.

The Elf-prince grinned at her subsequent chastised expression.

"Kima sél hica." she muttered under her breath, so quiet that only Legolas' keen ears picked them up. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he didn't think it was anything complimentary towards the trees.

_Ugh. What a headache._

Rima gently massaged her temples as she walked, careful to avoid any dips or hills that might jolt her already pounding head.

_I haven't felt like this in many winters past… I had better not be catching cold!_

She groaned quietly as a slight incline in the forest floor caused her footsteps to thump painfully into the centre of her skull.

"What see?" she demanded, noticing a look of concern cross the face of the Elf behind her.

"Fine. Look fo-or self. I alright." she smiled thinly, tapping her head to demonstrate.

Rima did her best to hide her wince at he slight impact, but the Elf caught it at once.

"No, you are not alright. Aragorn, Gimli, may we stop for a moment?"

The group halted abruptly.

"Rima, come here."

Legolas took note of the little wobble in her usually graceful Elf-like step.

He put a hand to her forehead, eyes widening as he felt her unusually high temperature.

"You are ill."

She seemed confused.

"Sick. Feverish. Unwell." he clarified.

"_Oh._"

A look of dismay passed over her features.

"I try keep fast. Stay with…" she trailed off, trying to find a word for "Group."

_She thinks we're going to make her walk._

He sighed.

"No, Rima. You are going to sit on the horse."

"_Lorna._" _Asleep. _He added firmly.

"Can walk." she defied, but he could tell she was losing her initial determination.

"No, ride."

She whirled abruptly towards his horse, stomping dizzily towards the saddle.

"Rima-"

"If you remain angry, lady, you will not get well very quickly." Aragorn mentioned, cutting him off.

"As to walking, it will only slow us down if you attempt it. I assure you, this is the swiftest way." He raised an eyebrow expectantly.

The Avien girl looked for a moment as if she were ready to explode, but soon softened.

"Sorree, A-ra-gorn. I try…better. Get well. I try walk be-cause woman. Man speak Woman weak, cannot fight, cannot work. Only slow. You say… said sit on horse. Make-think because female."

"Not slow." she added firmly, trying to make her point clear.

A great silence followed.

_Huh?_

"Wha' she say?" Gimli grunted.

Legolas simply smiled.

"I believe she is trying to tell us that she feels as if we are being overly polite because she is a woman. She seems angered by it."

"Hm. She sure she 'asn't any Dwarf-blood in'er? She's soundin' like the lassies back 'ome."

Rima laughed at the Dwarf's comment, turning back around to mount the grey stallion.

"No, Gim-lee. I not look pret-ty with beard on face. Better on you."

This exchange lifted the spirits of the entire company as they continued on their journey.

* Sorry if this wasn't very good. You know what I mentioned about the end of last chapter? My stepdad keeps turning off the Wifi 'cause he doesn't like my 'attitude'. I'm supposed to finish washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen before he gets home, as well as 'Make a complete 180' with my 'Unacceptable attitude'. In exchange, I get about an hour and a half computer time per day. I hope you appreciate my effort, 'cause I'm practically biting my tongue in half trying not to say anything that'll get me in any deeper shit than I'm already in. Read, enjoy, review! Please review! It keeps me sane in this crazy upside-down world. REVIEW!


	12. Dwarf

_The constant thumping of hooves… A sudden stop… Loud voices… A bright light._

This is what Rima knew from her dim, half-conscious state of mind.

_H-mmm-uh?_

She tried to raise her numbly throbbing head, but it only slightly turned to the side. It was simply too exhausting to make any large movements.

She was rewarded for her efforts by the hazy image of her three companions, facing an indescribably vivid white starburst of light. It said something in a cool, calming voice before fading into the shape of a white-haired old man, dressed in robes the pure color of lily-petals, holding a walking stick that seemed to have been carved from the moon itself. The faces of her companions lit up with expressions of absolute joy, and she closed her eyes again.

"_Who are you?"_

_An old Dwarf stood before her, looking down at her prone form._

"_What is your name?"_

_She tried to sit up; the arrow-wound in her back flared and she suppressed a whimper._

_She relaxed her muscles and laid back down._

"_I said, who are you? Tell me!"_

_The Dwarf-man smiled sadly, pointing to his mouth before tugging on his ear._

"_You are mute?"_

_The Dwarf nodded. He stepped closer, making a move to touch her wounded wing._

_Rima tensed, ready to lash out, but as the Old one made contact, she was surprised to find his touch calmingly gentle and soft._

_A moment later, her entire back was numb, deadened by the old Dwarf's healing._

_She raised her eyes to his in wonder._

"_Thank you, stranger. May I call you Karuk?"_

_The Old one nodded, and helped her stand._

"_Thank you, Karuk."_

Rima opened her eyes. They were no longer in the forest, and by the feel of her limbs and the great expanse of the night sky, she determined herself to be in the middle of a great plain, a fire at her side.

Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and the old man from before conversed across from her.

She was too tired to decipher the words.

She shivered, despite the heat, and pulled her arms closer t her body.

Noticing her discomfort, the Elf stood, and walked silently to her side.

He gave her something to drink, something with a bitter leafy taste, and she drifted back asleep.

_Rimala landed gracefully on the cold-hardened ground, white clouds of air streaming from her mouth and nose as she panted for breath._

_She smiled, proud of her progress. Karuk would be proud when she showed him! He had always supported her when she doubted herself, unable to believe that she could fly again with only one wing. _

_She hated silver and iron, so Karuk had found a light new form of metal and build a new wing from the thin piped form of it. Covered in a thick sheet of Lychich leather, it was almost the same as a real wing!_

_She flexed her arm in it's bracer, causing the thin cords of sinew to pull the wing into a folded position._

_She couldn't wait to show Karuk!_

_Rimala began waling towards the old Dwarf's mining shack, her home for the past two spans._

_The Old one was friendly and kind, and she soon got used to his strange antics._

_Polishing all the metals in the house every tenday, gong off to his mine every two days to hack away at the moulding limestone, mostly eating plants so that he would have more time for smelting and churning at the smith-fire._

"_Karuk! You were right!" Rimala proclaimed, stepping in through the rickety doorway._

"_I have learned! May I show you?"_

_She looked around._

_The hearth was all embers, strange due to the chilled weather outside. Karuk usually kept it burning high, even in the summer._

"_Karuk?"_

_She saw the form of her old friend, still in bed._

_A cold knot of understanding formed in her stomach, quickly hardened by a wave of denial._

_He had probably just slept in._

_Even as her disbelieving eyes passed over the peaceful face of her friend, she knew that t wasn't true. The busybody old mute was always up with the sun, ready for another day at work. _

_Not today._

_Today, he lay in his cot, covered to his bristly grey chin in an old quilt, a smile on his face._

_He had gone in his sleep, probably dreaming of his mine at the time._

_Silent tears fell from her face as she went back outside, collecting rocks for a funeral pile._

When she awoke for the third time, Rima was back on the horse.

It clopped slowly towards a great hill, crowned at the peak with a great ring of large houses. She could make out the forms of tightly winding green flags twisting in the wind, and many people bustling about at the centre. Tall men stood guard around a high wooden gate.

She stared for awhile, before distantly drifting back to old memories.

…_..._

_Sorry this was so short. My dad forgot to turn the Wifi back off, and I'm trying to upload as many chapters as possible before he figures out where I went. Read, enjoy, review! Let me know of any ideas you have for the story! (PLEASE review! It keeps me sane!)_


	13. Seagull

bonniebeast- Yeah, sorry about that. I just don't know how long he's gonna leave the internet open, and since I just write and upload, I need to write a bit faster if I'm going to get any updates in on time. That, and I'm trying to write the last few chapters for _Mein Kleiner Drache_, and I've been stuck on it for about a month. I think I've got a few fans ready to kill me for constantly promising that I'll update the next day. I never do, and I'm starting to annoy myself with it. I'll try to be a bit more detailed with this one.

Holey crap, I responded to your message awhile ago. A month maybe? Never mind. My dad has long since turned the internet back on, and earned my forgiveness via a bag of deep fried cheese sticks. :D What can I say? I love my cheese sticks. : )

Hey, don't want to sound creepy, but are there ANY guys on this site? I've seen one, but out of the thousands of profiles I've read, it seems like only girls read this kinda stuff. Or maybe I'm just slow like that. Oh well. Just a curiosity.

On with the show!

…...

Rima opened her blurry eyes, and was welcomed by candlelight and the musty scent of horses mingled with old wood. Regaining a dizzy sort of awareness, she realized that she was resting upon a thickly thatched straw bed, and wrapped around with a heavy brown woolen blanket.

_Where…? Too hot…_

Through her muddled mind, she tried desperately to wiggle out from under the coverings, only to be stopped by an uncomfortable crawling under her skin. Her joints ached, and she lay still with a whimper.

"You are awake?"

She jumped slightly at the unexpected voice, and swept her eyes around the area in front of her until her weary gaze rested upon the kind face of a Dwarf.

_Karuk? _

Her heart rose with joy, soon to be silenced with a final recognition.

_No, Gimli._

Rima berated herself for her disappointment, ashamed of her own emotions.

Her thought were cut short as the bearded one shifted in his seat.

"Aye, you had us worried, lass. Dippin' out like that! Don't you scare us again, eh?"

She frowned, unable to decipher his jumbled words.

"K'an'la… Im nikala sewin?" _Dwarvish one… What are you saying?_

Now it was Gimli's turn to frown, troubled by the state of his companion.

Turning to the door, he called for the woman who had previously been tending to her.

He spoke a few words, and the woman left, nodding.

He turned back.

"You can get some rest now, gulling. We be in horsemen territory now, been here an hour or two. They w'rnt pleased to see us, no indeed, 'till that grumpy old wizard did 'is work."

He sat back, sighing.

"C'ourse, you'bin complicatin' things a bit. Superstitious villagers, they don' know nothing' more'n they kin see with their own eyes. Seem to see yer' bein here a bit of a bad omen. Aragorn an' the pointy-ear be discussin' that now. But d'on you worry 'bout that, you best be getting' some rest now."

He stood up, grunting, and made his way to leave.

Rima stared vacantly at the weathered old seat he had been sitting in. Not a single word he'd said had sunken in.

_Probably wasn't important…_

Once again, lines blurred and colors blended until nothing was clear, and she drifted off into a troubled sleep.

The Avien was tangled in a mess of sheets and blankets when Legolas checked in on her.

In a crazed panic, the dreaming girl had twisted her limbs into knots under her coverings. She growled and hissed steadily through clenched teeth. A dribble of blood spilled from where her fangs had pierced her lips. A stream of murmurs rushed out, unintelligible to his foreign ears.

His brow creased in worry. It pained him to see her in such a state.

_She is having a night-terror. What of, I wonder?_

Reaching tentatively towards her shoulder, he shook her slightly.

"Rima?"

Gaining no response, he tried again.

"Rima? Rima, you are dreaming."

_In a town… new town, new location, always changing. Wearing coat. Coat slips… humans. Humans see. Chase. Yell loudly… ears hurt. Turn and hiss. People stay. Throw rocks. Stones everywhere, stones on back, stones on legs. Pain. Run, run to forest. Hide. See torches, rusted swords. Orange light flickers off leaves, licks branches. People, many people. Stand and run, run fast. Smell smoke, climb tree. Nose burns. Face burns. Tree burns. Many people, people shouting, ears hurt, chest hurts. No wind, no clear, smoke. Nothing, everything, blurry, jumbled, confused. Want to run, want to hide, want to scream. Screaming, screaming, falling. People, many people. Fire, swords, running, crawl, scream,hide,…_

Violet eyes flicked open, and the Elfin princeling had but a moments time before suddenly finding himself pinned to the floor with a girl on his torso and a knife at his throat. He looked up with wide eyes at Rima, her own eyes showing no signs of recognition. Instead, they burned with an intense ferocity that would have made a lesser being quake with fear.

"Rima…" he swallowed as the dagger pressed closer to his skin, scraping a thin red line into his flesh.

"Rima, I am a friend. You are safe."

Purple irises narrowed in confused suspicion.

"You were dreaming. You are safe."

Slowly, the pressure on his neck lightened and the woman's feral defensiveness gave way to disbelieving realization.

He closed his eyes, and relief flooded his mind as her knife clattered to the floor and she scrambled off his chest.

"Le-go-las! Kilra… Sor-ry. S-o-rry. D-ream…"

Her clipped words drifted off, and he was shocked to hear that she was beginning to cry.

Legolas sat up, and saw that Rima was now curled up on the back of the bed, her single wing pressing flat against the wall as her body was taken over by sobs.

He stood, and went to sit on the cot beside her quaking form.

On closer inspection the Elf could knew that she was still quite unwell. Now nearer, he could clearly see that not all her shivers were from her sharp gasps, and her sickly-pale skin shone with a layer of cold sweat.

_She should be sleeping, not crying._

"I- I am sorry." he stated, somewhat awkwardly.

"I should not have intruded."

She moved towards him, and he tensed, ready for another attack.

Instead of striking as he expected, he was quickly wrapped in a shuddering embrace.

His arms remained held out as the girl latched onto him.

He was not sure what to do; the movement was entirely unexpected, although not unpleasant.

His fair skin burned with awkward embarrassment.

"Um, Rima? What is it that you doing?"

She held tighter, and continued to sob. His freshly bruised ribs flared in complaint, but he did not move to push her off.

"H-hurt. Sorry." came the halting reply.

_Ah._

The blush fading from his face, he returned the embrace.

"It is alright," he whispered softly. "It was not your fault."

His long-fingered hands rubbed soothingly across her shoulders, and after a few minutes, the shaking subsided.

Awhile later, he looked down to see that she had fallen asleep once again. Looking at her small form in the candlelight, a small smile crept across his face. She looked to peaceful, laying still in his arms. Her brown tresses glinted copper in the light, and her thin arms looked so frail and delicate. Almost completely unlike her usual strong and powerful presence, she looked now to be almost like an ordinary young woman, abruptly awakened in the night by disturbing memories. It made him glad to know that he could help her find true rest.

Moving smoothly so as not to disturb her peace, he gently laid her back down onto the bed. He pulled a sheet back over her, and watched amusedly as she rolled over into her pillow.

His smile widened as she murmured once again in her sleep, this time sounding out a word he could almost have sworn to be his name.

Leaving the small room, he tried his hardest not to make a sound as he shut the door behind him.

_Get well soon, seagull._

He set off to find Aragorn, pleased with his work.

…...So sorry that took forever! I was really stuck on how I'd write this, so please don't kill me! Don't even try to decipher Rima's earlier words online, she was speaking in Sphynix. (Avien language.) Yeah, Imma nerd. Thank you, reviewers! Reviews make my soul happy!

"Through thick and thin, through crappy plot, fanfic readers, thanks a lot!"

Poetry isn't my style, but hey, I tried. Anonymous reviewer without a name, I'm glad you're taking the time to read my other stories. It makes me happy to know that people appreciate what I do. :D


	14. Ants

"B-but… ne-ed…"

"No, girl," said Emi, Rima's current supervisor, steering the shivering Avien towards her chambers.

"You are still sick. You must rest."

Rima coughed, drawing her blanket tighter around herself in a desperate attempt to keep warm. A curtain of oily brown tangles swept across her face, shielding her from the pitying looks

Emi frowned; her temperature was too high for her to still feel cold. As well as this, she had refused to eat for the last few nights, and only the calm persuasion of Emi had convinced her to swallow a few sips of broth.

"Come now, miss. Please?" she tried, attempting once again to reason with her reluctant patient.

Rima sighed. Nodding weakly, she turned around and shuffled reluctantly back towards her room, leaning slightly on the woman as she went. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Théoden watched the exchange with a grim silence, Gandalf smoking his pipe a short ways away.

A short grunt from Gimli broke the tension..

"Stubborn one, ain't she? Juss c'ant tell wa' s good fer 'er."

Gandalf smiled.

"From what I hear, she may even rival you, my dear Dwarf."

The laughter of his comrades soon silenced the grumbling Gimli.

"I am sorry for her situation," spoke Théoden.

The mirthful atmosphere darkened.

"It pains me to confine her to this hall when she would rather walk in the open." he continued.

"but I am afraid that my people would not take well to her… appearance."

Gandalf sighed, all too aware of the woman's predicament.

"Yes, a strange problem this has become. And how will we solve it? We cannot keep her indoors throughout her stay, and like as it may be we shall soon find ourselves in the midst of battle. We shall have need of swift travel, and she will then if not sooner be exposed to the peoples."

The old wizard sighed once again, overwhelmed by the overall situation.

"What say you, Théoden king? We cannot leave this woman alone in these uncompromising times, but bringing her with us would expose her as a target of fear and anger of the people. How shall we handle this… riddle?"

The old king sighed, and it seemed to Legolas that a slight wrinkle of age still lay heavily upon his shoulders, adding to the burden of his previous obligations.

Finally, he summoned a great breath to answer.

"We… we shall go to Helm's deep."

Seeing Gimli preparing to protest his statement, he quickly cut the dwarf off.

"This is my final decision, master Dwarf. I have no desire to cause obstacles for your companion, but I must first look to the security of my people. I will not sacrifice entire families for the sake of a single being."

He leaned forwards in his chair, resting his arms on legs.

"Now, here is what we can do…"

_Fire. Burning. Smoke- can't breathe. Chest hurts. Heavy._

Tangled in a mess of sheets and blankets, Rima's frantic breathing was sharp and shallow. The cold sweat that had coated her skin earlier had long since burned away from the heat of her body.

_Too many people. Too many voices. Stop. Can't hear…_

Bloodshot eyes rolled in their sockets as she searched the room for the source of the noise. The overlapping questions and demands mixed and blended, causing her already upset stomach to roll uncomfortably.

_Quiet! You're making my head hurt! No… _

Rima's skin began to tickle… It felt as if a thousand nipping ants were crawling under her skin. As the thought crossed her fevered mind, she began to panic. She began clawing furiously at her limbs, trying to dislodge the imagined parasites. The ants turned to fingers, groping and clutching at her clothes.

_Stop! Let go! Be quiet! Stop!_

She didn't even realize that she had started screaming.

"Stop! Go away! I'll leave! I-"

She shuddered in fright as faces appeared before her, scowling and glaring with angry expressions. She whimpered as the grabbed her shoulders, pushing her down.

"Rima! Rima! Be still! It is only me! It is Aragorn! Im, mellon!" _I, friend!_

The ranger hardened his grip, determined to prevent the distressed woman from harming herself further. His words, however, did little to console the thrashing woman in the least. Indeed, it seemed to only panic her further. Long, jagged red lines appeared on her tan arms as she ripped at the man's hands, screaming over and over for him to release her, promising again and again to invisible assailants that she would depart quickly. She continually repeated the message in fragmented Elvish as well, in addition to a warbling chatter that the man could only presume was her own tongue.

Aragorn growled slightly in frustration; the lady was much stronger than her thin frame showed.

"Legolas! Anno a vassal caim!" _Legolas! Lend me hands!_

Rima's spasming body soon slowed as the elf aided his efforts.

"Lim aron! Keda! Keda!"

Legolas frowned. Under his firm hands, he could feel the Avien woman's heartbeat fluttering like a trapped moth. Her breathing concerned him as well; it was much too weak and quick.

_If this keeps up much longer, she will likely pass out._

As if in response to his speculation, Rima's struggles slowed and dulled until she lay still once again. Aragorn sighed, stepping away.

"She seemed somewhat reluctant to be helped." Legolas observed, noting the various scrapes and gauges in the flesh of the mortal's hands.

The man nodded in acknowledgement.

"Aye. She knew not her actions. It cannot be helped."

He turned towards the door.

"Would you mind watching over her for a moment? I would like to find wrappings for these before they drip all over the king's good floors. Emi is at the market, she should return shortly."

Legolas nodded, lifting an overturned chair to sit beside Rima's cot.

"My thanks."

The door shut with a faint _click_, leaving the Elf to his thoughts.

…...

Da da da dum! In the next chapter, I'm going to try and start the journey to Helm's deep. Don't kill me for this weak chapter! I just needed a good spacer.

REVIEW, OR FACE MY DISCONTINUATION! RAWR!


	15. Feathers

Okay, I was hoping to have Rima up and traveling today, but I realized my plan for infinite evil would be incomplete without another tension chapter. Don't worry, things will make sense in time. You must learn, grasshopper, the ways of the universe. ^_^

Actually, this is just going to confuse the hell out of anyone out there who isn't psychic. Sorry.

…_..._

_Leave, leave! Go away! Monster! Freak! We don't want you here!_

Rima shrunk under the eyes of the angry people, wishing to simply disappear.

_Leave! Leave! Run! Get away! You are not welcome here!_

Rima screamed as the sensation of a thousand burning knives pierced her consciousness, causing her head to pound in a symphony of heat. The ever-present voices grew louder, more insistent.

_LEAVE! LEAVE! LEAVE!_

Flames erupted from the darkness, forming for a moment the image of a great eye, demonic and uncompromising in it's will.

_LEAVE._

The tongues of flame drew closer, licking at her skin like the coils of a whip.

Rima awoke, gasping for breath.

"Gaer-mýl?" _Seagull?_

Legolas's voice drew her from the nightmare, allowing her to relax under the soft brush of his words.

"Are you alright? Sad lîn mae?" he repeated in Elvish, in case she didn't understand the first time.

"I… all-right." she lied, attempting to sit up. A wave of nausea rose in her belly as she did so.

"Sad lîn tîr?" he asked, his tone making obvious his disbelief.

She nodded shakily, trying to still her trembling hands.

"Night-scare-"

Without warning, she suddenly bent over and emptied her stomach into the bucket at the side of the cot.

_Ew._

When she was finished, she sat up again to feel the Elf's hands on her shoulders.

His cool blue eyes looked concernedly into her own, seeming to search her mind for the source of her illness. His intense gaze made the Avien feel awkward, and she pulled away to wipe her mouth.

_Why does he have to have such clear eyes?_ she wondered. _They feel like they are boring into me, but at the same time they are fascinating to look at. However, it would be rather awkward to stare at them all day… although I probably could,_ she added wryly.

There was a moment of quiet before Legolas spoke.

"We are leaving for Helm's deep tomorrow."

She froze, turning back to him with an incredulous expression.

"All… group in horse-man home?"

He gave a quick nod in confirmation.

"We have been here for just under a week. You have slept long."

Her eyes widened.

"Man see…?" She gestured to her eyes and back, still covered in her linen sheet.

"No, only two. Théoden, the king, and a healer woman named Eri."

He smiled warmly at the thought of the motherly woman.

"She has spoken not a word of you to anyone, and she seems trustworthy enough."

He let out a breath of air that he had not realized he had been holding in as Rima's posture relaxed visibly.

"G-ood. I… ready leave to-morrow."

"All-ready pack." she added, noticing her gear piled in the corner. It was not much, consisting only of her light bone-plated armor, a pair of fighting knives, and her healing pouch, but it still eased her mind to know that all her meager possessions were accounted for.

"You look for night?" she started, changing the subject.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You…" she pointed to the Elf, frustrated once again by her limited capabilities.

"Look…" she mimed wide eyes, pointing around her sleeping area, "For whole night?"

For this she raised her hands, mimicking the turning of a sundial.

"You look for night?"

Realization came over him instantly.

"Ah, you ask if I watched over you all night?

Nay, I managed some sleep earlier on. You had a… 'Night-scare' earlier in the evening, and you were not yourself. You gave Aragorn a few scratches, and he left to clean them. Emi was out in the village, and I stayed to watch you."

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence, and Legolas began to rethink his choice of words.

"Aragorn…can you find?"

Slightly surprised by the odd request, the elf nodded and left to find the mortal. When he and his companion returned, Rima's face fell at the sight of Aragorn's tightly wound bandages. She stood to meet him, swaying slightly.

"Aragorn, you are alright?" she ventured, eyes downcast.

"I am fine." he responded kindly, seeing the Avien's sincere regret.

"It was not your fault, I do not blame you."

"So-rry." she admonished, obviously still feeling guilt for her actions.

He sighed, sensing a dead end in their exchange.

"I have fared worse in my lifetime. It will take much more than a few cuts to fell me. Besides," he waved vaguely in the direction of her arms, "You took more damage than I."

As if noticing for the first time, Rima held out her hands in awe, gaping at the interlacing network of shallow gashes and furrows in her skin.

_I did this? When? _She searched her mind for the memory, but came up blank.

_I must have been completely out of my mind… _She Looked to Legolas questioningly, but he looked away in embarrassment. That was all the confirmation she needed.

"Oh…" she pulled her arms into her blanket, trying to hide the lacerations, but the thin cloth slid clumsily off her back. Grasping to pull it back over her wings, a faint pink tinge entered her cheeks.

"S-orry, so-rry. I…er, I fine now."

A series of quiet tac's drew her visitor's attention to the floor. She blushed furiously as she looked down.

A small pile of long, wispy grey feathers brushed on the floor.

Aragorn moved to sweep them up. Legolas glared at her stonily.

"You are most assuredly not fine, Gwael. Lie down and get some rest, if we are to depart in the morrow you must be well rested. I shall see to Eri for your breakfast."

Aragorn handed her the feathers, and stepped back as she sat on the bed. Legolas looked down at the broad, elegant strands in the quills, admiring their soft beauty.

_They are falling out? Why did she not speak of this?_

Seeing he confusion of his friend, Aragorn silently left the room. On his way out, he looked to Rima. _You are forgiven. _The door clicked shut behind him.

She returned his gaze, and gently set the discarded feathers on the chair by the bed.

Legolas stood to the side, still watching.

She closed her eyes, expecting the next question.

"Why are they falling out?"

A sigh escaped her lips before she responded.

"Sick. Mostly be-cause sick."

"Mostly?" The Elf's voice was strained.

"Could be Molting."

"Or…?" She could hear the worry in his voice.

"Sick."

She laid down again, pulling the sheets over herself.

"Because sick."

The conversation dropped entirely. Legolas stood for awhile, waiting to see if she would say anything else. A minute passed, and he gave in to the silence.

"Get some rest." he mumbled, and moved to leave.

Rima shut her eyes again tiredly, trying to ignore the hurt expression on the Elf's face.

…...

Bonniebeast: Thanks for sticking with me all this time. :D your support is much appreciated!

AHealingRenaissance: Don't worry, all part of the evil plan. O_O Be very afraid.

To quote Patrick from Spongebob, "The infinitely complex inner workings of my mind are an enigma" *Thought-bubble shows carton of milk tipping over*.


	16. Stallion

"Are you alright?" Gimli asked, watching concernedly as Rima mounted Arod, Legolas's borrowed horse.

She nodded, not quite believing herself.

"I am fine."

He gave her another worried glance before

Legolas came up behind her, and she hunched her shoulders, avoiding his gaze, but she couldn't help feeling relieved by his comforting presence.

"Keep the cloak on." He muttered shortly, and she nodded.

"Make sure to keep your eyes down as well."

Of course; purple irises might be a bit of a giveaway to the superstitious horsemen.

"Ye-es."

She curled in on herself a bit as the Elf climbed on behind her, tugging his cloak tighter as she did so. She still felt awkward about the night before, she was almost beginning to wish that she had been honest with him about her health when he had asked.

_No,_ she corrected quickly._ I do not wish to bother anyone. It is only a chill, I shall get over it without troubling him._

But deep down, she knew it was something else that was plaguing her. She rarely shed feathers, never losing them at such a rate as she had been recently. Her stomach felt as if a thousand dragonflies had somehow flown inside, and were churning around in a great swarm as they tried to escape. Food was becoming less and less appetizing, and she had taken to wandering off after meals to bring it back up again. As well as this, her dreams had grown more vivid and frequent, always ending in a great blast of heat and flame.

The symptoms mystified her entirely. _What is wrong with me? _Shewondered. _Is this normal for one of my age? I should have listened to Nana when she spoke of things such as this!_ A deep ache resounded in her chest as she thought of the old woman, running after the children, pot in hand, waving her arms around madly as they made off with her bread. Unbidden tears welled in her eyes as she recalled the day she had come home late.

_I'm sorry, Nana. You told me not to dawdle._

She forced the thoughts from her head and focused on staying on the horse. This was not easy, seeing as how it's Elfin rider had insisting on going bareback.

_Confounded Elves_, she grumbled silently. _We cannot all have their grace._

She shifted in place, trying to find a comfortable way to lay. Her armor had been replaced over her linens, for which she was grateful. She felt naked without it, and it was almost more comfortable wearing the rigid antler plates than without. Even after all her years, the curved and rounded layers of Lychich bone had held up magnificently, even after previous swords and daggers had long since rusted and flaked. Her Nana's Dee-kan knives also were in remarkably good in shape, not one of them even tarnished from her ages of self-defense and hunting. As her eyes drooped, her hand strayed towards her belt to be sure that they were sheathed. Noting their presence, a new comfort overcame her. Her eyelids slid shut as she allowed herself to sleep.

Some hours later, Legolas dismounted. It was his turn to scout, and he would not have Rima with him as he walked. He had spent some time listening to her quiet breaths as she dozed, smiling as she twitched in her sleep. He had laughed loudly when Gimli had fallen off his mount, but had soon quieted, fearful of waking her. Even now, he hated having to bother her rest.

"Rima? Rima? Awake, mellon-nin." _My friend._

Her eyes dragged themselves open, and she stared at him expectantly.

"Hm-mm?"

He smiled, pleased that she was in an apparent good mood.

"I am to walk on foot for awhile. Arod will not stray, but would you like me to secure you to him? I would not wish you to fall."

Rima sighed. He understood her feelings exactly; it must be embarrassing enough to be escorted as an invalid, especially under the guise of Aragorn's hunchbacked half-sister.

She had argued furiously as she could against it, but it had soon been agreed upon as she was overcome by a coughing fit.

Finding a length of rope from his pack, he quickly looped it around the horse's neck, securing one of her hands to the remaining end.

"Is that right?"

She nodded.

"Good. I must go now, but I will be back in a double hour. Rest well." With that he left, running to catch up with the front group.

Rima groaned, and turned her aching head to sleep once again. She shivered; it was much warmer when the Elf's cold-resistant body had been blocking the wind. Another sigh escaped her as she slowly tuned out the world once again.

_Confounded Elves._

…_..._

Thanks again, blank reviewer! Much appreciated! Everyone else, REVIEW!


	17. Warg

Blank reader: Again, still enjoying the reviews! Makes me feel happy inside. :D

Hiii: I'm glad you like it so much. : ) I feel the same way about a lot of the stories I read, and I can't describe great it feels to know that I'm good enough to be seen on the same level! XD Thank you so much for reading! As I've mentioned before, feel free to let me know if you have any suggestions.

Rima woke up, and all around her were great swarms of flying gummi bears…

Sorry! I need a little fun once and awhile. 8D

Again, Ignore that. I'm a bit frooty in the loop.

…...

"_Wargs! Wargs! We are under attack!"_

The sudden cry jerked Rima from her sleep.

_Wha-…?_

"_Shield the women and children! Do not let the enemy get through!"_

All around her, great numbers of horse-men mustered a circle around the panicked villagers. Screaming and shouting to family and loved ones could be heard from all directions as desperate humans pulled together. Arod whinnied and shuffled, unused to such chaos. Ignoring the pain in her head, Rimala spurred the horse away from the huddling crowd, towards the battle. No-one noticed this; many of the men were too bust securing their families to notice the absence of a single woman on horseback.

As she exited the cluster, a large, gnarled, hairy shape lunged at Arod, sending her mount into a panic. The warg snarled and swiped until the tottering horse fell to the ground. All Rima knew was that the ground was sliding; no, the world was falling. She did not even register the pain when her arm was caught under the stallion. As the horse rolled frantically to regain a footing, the leather-wrapped hilt of a throwing knife appeared at the attacking creature's throat with a sickening _crunch_. Rima stared at it for a moment, confused before realizing that she had thrown it.

The doglike creature stood, dumbfounded, apparently unsure f what had just happened. It let out a howl, a terrible, mangled noise from the horrible mutated creature, before falling over. Rima would liked to have remained laying down, but the sounds of the tumult soon reached her ears, and she remembered her position.

A great heave pulled her arm free of Arod's jerking neck, and with a twinge of regret she realized that the last two fingers were bent wrong. She deftly flicked out her second dagger out to sever the cord holding her down.

"Sorry, Arod," she whispered in her native tongue. "Take care. I must help."

She flexed her hand. The inflamed digits practically screamed in protest. They were at least dislocated.

_Well, that's just excellent._

She didn't have time to realign the bones properly; it fact, by the feel of it, the second-to-last one might even be broken. Grimacing, she ignored the dull jolts singing their way up her arm and yanked the Dee-kan knife out of the warg's throat. She barely had time to stand straight again before being forced to turn and block a strike from it's rider.

_Orc._

The disgusting mottled flesh that barely passed for a face lifted in a grotesque mockery of a smile. Sickly nausea was out flooded by a hatred rising like bile in her throat. Unbidden memories of similar beings in corpse-form laying amongst her loved ones swam into her head, invoking a new fury.

"_Seeth'ear!_" [1] she hissed, pushing back the creature's shabby club and slashing at it's neck with her right arm, somehow ignoring the flare of heat coming from her fingers as she did so. Not even bothering to watch the twitching monstrosity die, she soon engaged two other Orcs, _Grummulch_, and managed to end it fairly fast. Ages of living and defending herself and by herself had taught her much. She had missed out on much of her senior training in Dee, but learning her own lessons had taught her most of the major routines.

_Shhkt._

_Another one down._

His went on for some time… for how long exactly, Rima didn't know. She focused on her breathing, in out, in out, in out. That was the trick to staying alive in a battle, to moving swiftly and gracefully through a surging mob. Focus on something within yourself that was involuntary and mechanical. It centered your focus, pulling your awareness into your being, allowing the body's most primal instincts. Only a finite amount of information actually passed through her meditative barrier to plant a message into her thoughts.

_Shuffle, spin, lift, green, black, red, not-enemy… enemy._

A flash of white-gold flashed in her peripheal vision.

_Legolas. Not-enemy._

Her attention was unfocused for but a single moment; be that as it may, it was almost too late for her to see the darting blur headed towards the Elf. Without even thinking, her hand shot out to block the projectile.

Rima heard the dull crunching slurp before she felt it. Her other hand, clutching both knives in a hilt-to-hilt double-ended grip paused in mid-air, and she stared numbly at the crooked black dagger impaling her wrist. Seconds passed, and still she never really felt it. Her breathing focus snapped, and the tumult around her faded away until she was floating, still looking at the blade.

_Huh._

_This is going to be a problem._

A bow-legged, snickering shape crept up behind her, but Rima never saw it.

Not even when a black iron bludgeon was raised behind her back.

…...

CLIFFIE! Mwa-ha -ha-ha! (Bits of the story from here and the next chapter were suggested by a reviewer, but it's like, midnight over here and I've read all my reviews 50 times and my stupid brain isn't processing anything! Aaargh! Sorry… forgive me!) Anyhow, they mentioned something along the lines of… Oh never mind, just keep reading and REVIEW! XD


	18. Blue

_Left, right, left left, right, turn, jolt._

_Twist, arm up, turn._

Legolas pulled his blade forwards, letting another _yrch_ fall to the ground.

He was about to jump forwards, ready to gut another anonymous warg rider, when he sensed, rather than saw, a sudden change in atmosphere. Something was wrong.

_Plink._

The slightest noise, the very softness and simplicity of it that should have been night unnoticeable, seemed so out of place that he instinctively turned towards it.

The last thing he was expecting to see when he looked behind himself was a female… no, not just any female. Rima. Her usually sheathed knives were drawn, dripping the rotting blackness of orc-blood onto the already slick plains.

"_Rima?"_

She didn't seem to hear him, but that was impossible. The Elf-prince knew her ears to be almost as finely tuned as his own. Even over the chaos and clatter of the fight, she would at least have heard his call. She seemed to be holding a heavy object, clutching it in a white-knuckled grip. I was red and yellow, and black, and the red coated the fingers of her other hand.

_What is…? _His eyes widened as the scene before him finally pulled together.

"Rima!"

Still she stood, back to him, beginning to tremble slightly. He ran towards her, slashing blindly at any enemy unfortunate enough to block his way.

He cursed himself for not specifically telling her to run in case of a conflict, for not reminding her of her own situation before she was hurt.

_What if she bleeds out? How long has she been there? What will I do if she is fatally wounded? _

All these thoughts flew through his mind in the blink of an eye, and that was all the time it took for him to make a clean hole straight through a particularly large Orc, preparing at that very moment to cut through the Avien woman before him.

It almost pleased the Elf to see it's body on the ground, where it belonged,but his smile was soon halted as Rima toppled down alongside it. In one smooth motion, he knelt down, prudent to keep an ear out for approaching enemies.

"Rima? Rima? I need to look at your arm."

The prone figure trembled, but otherwise did nothing to show understanding.

"Try and stay awake, Gwael. This is not by any means a wise choice of resting place, unless it be your final one." The works stuck in his throat even as he spoke them. The Avien, who had been so frail and white over the last few days, now looked near death itself. He knew; he had seen too much of it in his time.

_No,_ he told himself firmly. _She shall not fall, not now. Now here._

He could not remove the knife -he sneered in disgust as he looked upon it- for she would soon bleed out. Still, he needed to stop the flow around the hilt, so that no further damage would be inflicted. Still, he felt a tingle uncanny foreboding at the though of touching her in this state. Some primal sense of fear stayed his hand, causing it to hover just above her shoulder.

_This is ridiculous!_ He berated himself._ She could die, there is a battle around! She needs help, and I am held back by superstitious premonitions! _

Still he struggled to drop his hand, and still he could not. This frustrated him beyond reckoning, and he longed for something to approach him so that he may hack at it with his elfin knives.

_I am not some old mother hen, why can I not bring myself to touch her? She is going to die!_

Ever so slowly, as if moving through a vat of thickly churned honey, he felt his fingers brush against her.

In response her eyes dragged open. But something was still horribly wrong. It was her eyes. Legolas pulled back, set aside by the immaterial quality of it all.

_They are… blank. shallow violet bowls, with nothing inside._

They should not be like this… she should not be like this.

"Gwael? Gwael, can you hear me?"

Even as the fighting ceased, as the last warg and rider gave their final squeals of terror, the Avien's eyes began to glow blue.

…...

Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know, this was painfully, painfully slow and confusing, but bear with me! I promise it will eventually make sense! Again, thanks to my reviewers! Very pleased with the reaction this has been getting, and I'm very excited to continue! REVIEW!


	19. Hawk

_**CLANG!**_

Legolas strained his muscles in a desperate attempt to keep Rima's blade away from his neck. Still she pushed closer, the razor edge of her knife coming dangerously close to his skin.

He wasn't quite sure what had happened. One minute, she was on the ground like any one of the still-warm corpses, looking as if she was soon to join them, when her eyes had suddenly flashed blue. The next thing she did was lash out at him, forcing herself closer without any heed of her injuries. The Avien hadn't even given time to stop the stream of blood that continued to flow around the dagger impaling her wrist, and the oozing fluid reminding him sickly of a stone break in a waterfall.

His arm shuddered under the pressure, and he was once again taken aback by the strength of the small woman.

"Gwael… rest. I am no enemy."

Her blank face gave away no emotion, and her unnervingly empty blue irises seemed to pulse with a determination that seemed to Legolas to be almost akin to madness.

Confusion filled his mind.

_What evil has overtaken her? Has she lost her senses?_

Pulling up in a light jump, her flicked his other hand up to knock her arm to the side.

A minuscule dusting of sparks scattered as their blades disconnected.

"Rima, Gwael, what has made you so infuriated with me?" he begged. "I do not know why you are angered so."

Again, she did not answer. Ripping her cloak aside, she lunged at him in a fury, teeth bared in a ferocious snarl. There was a collective gasp behind him as he blocked another strike, and he knew with a coil of despair that her cover of disguise had been revealed.

Still, he had other problems to attend to.

A series of metallic scrapes ensued from their continuing battle, seeming to the Elf to almost bounce off the grassy hills and back to his ears in a symphony of iron and steel.

_She fights with such anger! And yet her eyes show no thought. Has she gone mad?_

From the corner of his eye, Legolas noted a handful of men approaching.

"Do not come nearer! I can take care of this!"

He blocked another strike, this one aimed at his legs.

"Help Gimli get up!"

The Dwarf, somehow managing to get himself buried a few meters away under several wargs and orcs, grunted his assent.

The horsemen turned uncertainly to obey, a few of them throwing him skeptical looks, and he returned his full focus to Rima.

It wrenched his heart to see her like this. She might be fighting him as an enemy, but he knew she would not hold a weapon against him without reason. True, in the few weeks he had known her he had not learned much of her race or her history, but he knew that she was a kind person. She could not be fighting because of sickness, for if it were only malady she would not be so calculating and calm. Even behind the stone face, he could see that she was weak. Pale skin and slick hair, it was obvious that she was not well. No, it was not madness, but something alike. He sensed within her something old, and separate from it something dead and clammy, like water running down the rocks in a dark cave.

_This is not her doing. _The realization came slowly, and with it a new energy.

Bringing up his foot in a high arch, Legolas kicked the last remaining dagger from her hand.

In one fluid motion, he dropped his own to tackle her to the ground. She struggled awhile, and more than once the Elf felt a sharp pain as she bit at his skin, but as he pressed closer she suddenly went limp.

Not questioning her sudden change of strategy, Legolas quickly took advantage of the stillness.

"Rope!" he called.

There was a seconds pause as the men searched, and soon a short coil of leather cord was pressed to his hands.

Minding her wound, Legolas quickly bound her left arm to her right elbow, using the limbs to hold down her feathery wing.

"Rima, I am sorry, but I will not let you be hurt" he whispered, doubtful that she would even be aware of his words.

Adrenaline continued to vibrate though his body when he pulled her to her feet. She buckled almost immediately.

A weary sigh escaped his lips, and he lifted her into his arms. Ignoring the stares he received from the men, he searched the crowd for his absent companion.

"Where is Aragorn? I must find him. Can anyone here tell me where he is?"

The men shifted uncomfortably, and a sad look came into the eyes of Gimli.

"Gimli?" he asked nervously.

"He fell." was the simple answer.

The quiet seemed to stretch out the seconds forever. His ice eyes darted to the cliffs, hoping against hope that he had misheard, looking for some sign that would prove the statement untrue.

"I beg your pardon?"

"He…" The Dwarf choked, unable to finish his sentence. Wordlessly reaching out a gloved hand, he handed Legolas the fine mithril pendant belonging to their fallen friend.

The Elf awkwardly accepted the token, promising himself to return it to Arwen as soon as he found the opportunity. He bowed his head, unable to come to terms with the loss.

Not Aragorn. Not when he had survived so much, not even after Boramir was lost.

He pushed down his grief; now was not the time. Not now that the situation was so dangerous.

Still holding Rima, Legolas went off to find his horse. Ever still, questions blew through his mind, searching vainly for their answers.

…...

Again, an awkward chapter. Not exactly my favorite, but it fits. And yes, I know, Short, confusing, and unexplained. Bear with me. Eventually, it will make sense. REVIEW IF YOU LIKE, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. Thanks. :D

Oh, and thanks again to Blank reviewer. :D Took awhile to get interesting, huh? XD

MizoreTakeda: Thanks for reviewing! Nd don't worry, she's not dead. Whether or not she will… well, that's for me to know and for you to find out. 8D

AHealingRenaissance: Thank you! Lovin' the good reviews. X) An' sorry the Blue hasn't been explained yet. That will take time. A few more chapters, at least.

Have a nice Morning/Day/Night! REVIEW!


	20. The Sister Self

_Weightlessness._

That's all that there was.

It was a void; curling inside out and unto itself into oblivion.

There was no up, no down. The eyes were open, but they saw nothing. No black, no white. The air swirled with every color imaginable, mixing and blending into something alien and familiar, somehow colorless. The body was there, but it felt nothing and everything. Like an ethereal body trapped in lead drifted out and expanded to almost fill an infinite space.

_Gone._

Distantly, connecting to her detached mind like a spider web thread on the brink of snapping, the almost-being that was Rima's mind felt a slight twinge of unpleasantness. The emotion was not a true feeling, but rather a nudge of mild inquisitiveness, a slight bulge in an almost perfectly flat surface.

_I should get rid of it._

Flowing upwards, she calmly pushed out with her hands.

For a second, the unpleasantness was gone.

It returned swiftly, just a bit more solid and somewhat real.

On a whim, Rima stuck out her leg, in some way feeling distantly that it would make the flaw go away.

This time, the feel returned immediately. It made her giggle, and she reveled for a short moment in the fluffy echo of it. This time, instead of moving outwards to push it, she allowed it to come closer.

The flaw blew towards the centre of the enigma drowsily, as a soap bubble on water, and Rima studied it with an amused curiosity. It was dark, but not black. It didn't really have a shape, or a texture, but it remained at the size of a fist, and maintained a steady heartbeat rhythm.

She watched it carefully, like a small child observing a particularly large spider in a tub. Not really afraid or disgusted, but ready to give it a brush away if it came too close.

It still pumped itself, still moving on.

_Ba-da. Ba-da. Ba-da. Ba-da._

It bored her.

Rima turned away, flicking it off in the process.

"_It's going to come back, you know."_

The voice was her own, reverberating through the infinity as a muffled whisper through a damp pillow.

Rima didn't look around for the source.

She knew that it was inside.

"_Yes."_

The voice seemed amused by this.

"_Yes. Do you know why we're here?"_

Rima sent it a 'no' feel.

"_We are dying. We are weak. We are not strong enough."_

To Rima's fragile state of mind, this seemed irrelevant and unimportant.

"_Then we will be stronger." _

The voice was content at this.

"_We will. The strong feed on the weak, the weak are consumed or become strong to make others stronger. Are you strong or weak? You are already in death-life. Your weak mind is asleep while I do all the work. Again I ask you, are you weak?"_

A memory. Someone she felt protective of. She remembered… ice.

"_I am not weak."_

"_I am being warped." _The voice warned.

"_From a great distance, your animal part is being distorted. You may get stronger, yes, but can you protect me as I protect you? Together, we must protect the We."_

Rima agreed, troubled by what the voice was saying.

Nana had mentioned, long ago, something about Aviens being vunerable in halves. This seemed like something like that.

Even so, it made little sense. Solid feelings came back to her then, confusion and concern, things that did not belong in the void. Her spirit grew heavy, sinking back into the flesh that was body; along with this came natural feelings. All of a sudden she was angry, confused, and scared all together.

"_Where am I? Who are you? What is going on?" _The numb content disappeared altogether.

"_Tell me!"_

The voice sighed.

"_I am you, and you are me. I am the not-you, and you are going back. Do not come that close to death again sister-self, I do not enjoy shielding you."_

Now Rima was furious, frustrated with the irritating serenity eminating from all sides. This was not a time to be calm! She was talking to some kind of… no, she was moving… quickly…

_The battle!_

"_Farewell," _said the voice, drifting away now. _"Good health to We."_

"_No!" _The Avien screamed, trying desperately to pull the void back.

"_I want answers! Damn you!"_

Heedless of her cries, the nothing disappeared.

And then Rimala woke up.

…_..._

_Confusion, confusion, confusion! Oh, the delicious chaos of it all! Mwa-ha-ha-ha! Don't worry, it will eventually pull together! Just not yet… 8) Hehe._

_REVIEW IF YOU LIKE, GO CHEW A TWIG IF YOU HATE! Critiquing is welcome, ideas are divine. Thanks for reading! You guys are awesome! _


	21. Sparrow

Dark.

For a moment, Rima thought that she was still in the death-dark, but soon the cold draft in the air corrected her.

_What happened…? Oh, yes. I was… gone. Where-?_

Looking about, the Avien saw a bare stone room, consisting of little furniture besides the bed she lay upon and a bucket in a corner.

_Helm's deep? Already? But- Wargs? What-?_

She was absolutely confused.

"He-lo?"

Her voice came out as a dry rasp, surprising her.

No-one answered. She groaned, knowing her luck to be just as it always was.

It was good to no longer feel nauseous, though. Was she better already?

Tightening her abdomen, Rima attempted to pull herself up into a sitting position, but a pain radiated from her back as her arms were unexpectedly ripped behind her, tugging unpleasantly at her scar. Turning her head and wiggling her limbs, fear trickled into her mind as she noted the ropes binding her arms and legs to the bed.

_What?_

Unpleasant memories flooded into her mind, replaying over and over again before her glazing eyes.

_Loud voices, running fast. Fire. Burning, burning, burning-_

Her breath quickened, her heartbeat could be felt in her ears.

_No no no! Up!_

She began twisting around, desperately trying to find some slack in the restrictive cables, and couldn't stop herself from wincing when they began biting into her exposed skin.

What made her helpless situation worse, though, was her position. Her wing pressed awkwardly into the mat, ad the hollow bones ground together painfully under her movements.

She continued to thrash, however, absolutely unwilling to remain on her back regardless of whatever the circumstances my be.

"O-auh! Tsa! Oauh, oauh!" _Up! Now! Up, up!_

"Gwael?"

She would have never admitted it aloud, but she very nearly cried with relief when she heard the voice of Legolas echo to her ears.

Rima stilled. The nearly inaudible footsteps of the Elf wound their way towards the iron bars of her door, and soon a smiling whit-gold face appeared in her line of vision.

"Le echuiv!" _You awaken!_

Rima composed herself, blushing slightly.

"Y-es. To wh-a-t?" She questioned, her fear slowly being replaced by irritation.

The Elf sat down at the door, his expression hardening.

"I am very sorry, Gwael. It was all we could do to prevent you from harming anyone."

Her confused expression prompted him to continue.

"On the journey to Helm's Deep, we were ambushed by _yrch_." _Orcs._

"You joined the battled, and were injured. When the battle ended…."

His voice wavered, and he hesitated.

"Your… mind was not yours. Your eyes…." He shuddered at the memory.

"They were… cold. It was as if your soul has been encased in stone, and you were very far away."

His own eyes begged her for an explanation.

She averted her eyes, and there was a long silence. Another memory came back, one of her Nana.

They were in front of her parent's ash-plantings, paying their respects as they did every fourth moon.

Nana was praying quietly, murmuring a stream of thanks to the land for offering peace to the departed couple.

"_Nana?"_ she had asked, cutting off the trail of whispers.

"_Where is Mama and Papa?"_

The old woman looked down at her with smiling eyes, not at all minding the interruption.

"_They are everywhere, sparrow. Their souls have sailed across the lands, and now live within all else."_

"_Oh."_

She stared at the smooth river rocks marking the death places, contemplative of her gaurdian's words.

"_Why didn' they say good-bye, Nana?"_

The woman's face turned sad, and she too looked back down at the stones.

"_Rima… Did they ever tell you about the three little spirits?" _she had said.

"_Inside every Avien, there are three spirits. The most noticeable is the body spirit."_

"_Like you have a' practice!" _The younger Avien had piped in, grinning widely.

"_Missus Dee says that we can control our world if we can control our selves!" _she squeaked.

"_Missus Dee says that if we do nothing, our world stays the same, but if we move, our world moves! She says that to manipulate our world, we have to manipulate our bodies. She says that to manipulate our bodies, we have to control our spirit!" _She frowned._ "Missus Dee says I have a wild spirit, an' it don't wanna be controlled."_

Nana laughed, a loose, trilling sound that made Rima smile again.

"_That is true, little one. You must work on that! Shall I now tell you about the twin spirits?"_

Rimala nodded, gaining interest in the subject.

"_The twin spirits are the animal and the thought. When you want to do something, say, eat a single nut from a tree, that is your thought spirit. It makes your body spirit climb the tree and take a single nut, leaving the others to grow. Your animal spirit is wild, wilder even than your body spirit, sparrow, and it would decide not to take a single nut, but to gather them all up for itself and keep them for the cold season, like a little squirrel." _

"_Now, remember this, and remember it well. When a thought-spirit breaks, that leaves only the animal spirit and the body spirit. The animal spirit would steal away the body spirit, and do whatever it needs to stay alive. In another way, it is no longer the same person. It is a different person, in the same body. A dying Avien must stay away from all others, because the animal spirit does not know the difference between friend and enemy. Do you understand me, young one?"_

Rimala nodded.

"_So, Mama an' Papa died before their bodies did?"_

The old one nodded silently.

"_Oh."_

They stood awhile, and shining droplets began to fall from Rima's eyes.

"_Why do you cry, sparrow? Do you feel sad?"_

"_I'm not sad,"_ she insisted, turning her face to her Nana. Indeed, yet another gleaming grin was upon her face, despite the flow of tears.

"_I am happy. Mama an' Papa died before their bodies did, so they didn' hfta feel bad about leavin'. An' 'cause they sailed around', they're still together, an' they're still with me!"_

The old woman smiled sadly, envious of the young girl's bliss.

"_That means tha' we're still together fore'er!"_

Suddenly, a pair of strong, old arms wrapped around her.

"_Yes, my sparrow," _the woman whispered, she herself feeling tears begin to flow. _"They are with you always."_

"Rima? Rima? Gwael?"

The Elf's concerned voice snapped her back to the present, shaking off the remainder of the memory.

"Y-es?"

"Oh, good." Legolas sighed, relieved.

"I had thought for a moment that it had happened again. You seemed to pull out for a second…" he trailed off.

"But, seeing as you are with us again, I shall speak to Théoden of your release."

He stood to go, but not once did his eyes leave her face.

"Are you sure that you do not know what came over you?"

Rima's mind locked.

_How shall I explain this? I can speak fairly well now, but this involves a vocabulary that I am not in possession of._

"No words."

He seemed to understand.

"Do not mind, you may explain some other time. I am simply relieved that you are returned to us. I…"

Something changed in his face, something she could not fully interpret.

Was it sadness? Fear? Or was it… Longing?

"I was… worried for you."

Before she could unfreeze her brain for a response, he had already gone.

Rima sighed, tilting her head back to stare at the ceiling.

_Well, now what?_

…...

Sorry it took so long to update! Don't flame me!

(But, y'know, if you want to get on my good side… reviews are appreciated…)

Hint hint. REVIEW!

Oh, an' btw, I'm old enough to train for my driver's license next year! One year down, one more to go! WHOO-HOO! (Still have nightmares 'bout it, though…. Brrrrrrr.)

Ignore my weird fears, I once suffered from Catoptrophobia. Not my smartest few years.

REVIEW NOW! It only takes a few seconds, and it makes my day wonderful! :D


	22. Soul

Legolas let out a breath o pure relief as Rima stood up, leaning slightly on his shoulder as she did so.

The woman swayed through the long stone hall, but at least she was walking.

The Elf smiled to himself as she stumbled slightly, clutching tighter to his arm as well as the cloak wrapped around her back.

_She is doing well._

_It was true; _Bad as it may seem, it was a clear improvement to the pale, sweating shell that she had been the week before.

She caught his smile before he could look away.

"What?"

_You look so little, _He wanted to say, but that was not the apropriate response at this time.

"Nothing," he quipped shortly., turning his face towards a small window in the wall. "I think it is going to be a clear day."

"Oh."

She looked down. He felt as if she were disappointed for some reason.

"What is wrong, Gwael?"

She turned back up at the nickname.

"When I in…. not-me… Hu-man see, yes?"

She gestured to her back, and tipped backwards before grabbing a hold to steady herself again.

He understood.

"Yes, the men saw your wing. I am sorry I could not…"

"You could not what?"

"…Could not hide it," he finished, and she gave him an odd look.

"Not fault," she stated. "Not Lego-las fault," she corrected.

"But it was!" he protested, stopping in mid-step. "I should have told you where to go if something happened, I should have-"

"Stop."

She smiled.

"Not fault. Not me."

_Not her? Is she still sane…?_

Observing the incomprehension on his face, Rima groaned in frustration.

"No, yes-me, but no-me! I… Avien… Three piece whole. Rima one piece of three."

She looked to him hopefully.

The Elf shrugged, at a complete loss.

"I am sorry, I don't know what you mean. You're a piece of what?"

He stepped back in surprise as she dropped to the floor.

"Gwael? Are you feeling well?" He crouched beside her.

Ignoring his question, The Avien began to scratch symbols into the dirt.

When she was done, she leaned to the side for him to see a single circle within the crude outline of a winged body.

"This," She pointed to the body. "Is Avien. Avien only, no Man, No Dwarf, No Elf."

He nodded.

"This," moving her hand to hover just above the circle. "Is here."

With her other hand, she pressed two fingers into the hollow of skin just below his neck.

"Like… self. True self. Real self."

"Like a soul?"

She bobbed her head in affirmation.

"Yes. Soh-el."

She dragged a nail through the circle, cutting it into three.

"First soh-el is body. Feel, move." she movedon to the second section.

"Other Sohl is thinking. You think, You want. You tell body get."

She rocked back on her heels, continuing to point at the sketch.

"Last want live. Spirit. Like wolf. Piece mean, bites hand. Not-know friend.

"When thought gone, wild stay, take care of body. You know?"

"Y- yes. I think I do."

_It is like in battle, when all reasoning flees, leaving only the desire to survive, with no morals or virtues whatsoever. Except, this seems extreme to the point of the person's reasoning dying off altogether…_

He shivered at the thought.

_I pity any who find such an end._

"_Good."_

_Rima stood, leaning heavily against the brick wall._

"_Hungry. Eat now?"_

_Legolas laughed, pleased by the change in atmosphere._

"_Yes, let us find the others, Gwael. They will be pleased to hear of your recovery."_

_He held out an arm, and she took it gratefully as they continued their walk._

…_..._

_I'm sorry if the end of every chapter seems so… final… but that's just the way I work. Good news is, I'm on Christmas Vaykay now, so I'll have plenty of time to continue!(And Iwrote a plan for the story, so Rima has a written destiny now. : ) Ihope y'all will like it. :D_

_REVIEW IF YOU LIKE TREES! (Just 'cause.) REVIEW!_


	23. Tower

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry this took so long! I didn't know that I'd be visiting my papa this weekend. That, and the P on my keyboard is broken, and the G and H keys are missing, so please forgive my errors.

Also, I was wondering if anyone might like to beta this story for me. This would mean helping me fill the screwy spaces on already written chapters, as well as pre-reading future chapters before I post them. (I might have to divulge spoilers as well, so as to figure out a way to fix the ending. Sorry.) Anyone interested? Just sent me a message if you feel like you want to.

Thank you so much for your patience, please enjoy!

…...

"How is your arm?" the elf inquired, curious.

Rima lowered a hunk of dried meat to flex her fingers underneath their thick layer of wrappings. The subsequent jolt caused her to wince.

"Not done."

There was a silence. A soft breeze wafted between the two, smelling heavily of horses and sweet grass.

"So, battle soon?"

"I am afraid so."

Rima's face fell, but she quickly returned her attention to her meal.

Legolas watched silently, marveling at her ravenous appetite. Despite the poor quality of the food he had managed to find, she crammed in down as if it were her last meal.

However, he could not force himself to correct her behavior. It was, of course, the first real food she had eaten in almost three days.

_I suppose she has reason to be hungry, but…_

The elf-prince couldn't help but wince as the high-pitched squall of an infant met his sensitive ears, buzzing and thrashing with a thousand razor-sharp edges.

_She could have picked a better spot._

The long, damp, narrow hall of Helm's deep had very little room to spare for privacy, and the Avian had flat out refused to occupy the king's chamber, so of course he had made it open for her to choose an area to talk. Obviously, that translated to a bird as "Find the tallest, loudest, most remote pillar on the keep.

The one area in the vicinity that had fitted that definition perfectly had, of course, been a teetering spire nestled just on top of an unused lookout post.

Legolas winced yet again as yet another shrieking echo pierced it's way to his skull.

In hindsight, he should have put in that it had to be actually _inside_ the fortress.

"So… you want talk to I?"

Ignoring the noise, he turned to Rima.

"So you wanted to talk to me," He corrected.

"And yes, I did. I have a few questions for you in light of your… situation. Do you understand?"

She nodded.

"Yes. But I do not…. Know… much. Ask."

_She does not know what?_

"When you changed during the battle, why were your eyes blue?"

She shrugged.

"Not-know."

"You mean you do not know?"

"Yes. I do-not-know."

He frowned.

_That is strange._

"Is there any way to stop the animal soul?"

Rima shifted uncomfortably, and began fiddling with her wing-feathers.

"Not many. Need of sleep, calm thoughts, death."

"Ah."

_I seriously hope that the latter does not become necessary. But if the need arises, if there is no other way to keep her from killing…_

He brushed the thought away quickly, not wanting to even consider it.

_No, I will not. Not until it becomes the only way. But what about last time?_

His eyes glazed slightly as he recalled the final moments of her struggle.

_Bringing up his foot in a high arch, Legolas kicked the last remaining dagger from her hand._

_In one fluid motion, he dropped his own to tackle her to the ground. She struggled awhile, and more than once the Elf felt a sharp pain as she bit at his skin, but as he pressed closer she suddenly went limp._

He considered those few seconds carefully, but came up with nothing.

"But Gwael, during the ambush, you seemed to quit of your own volition. What occurred there?

Rima stopped her nervous grooming immediately.

"What?"

"We were fighting, and you suddenly stopped. Was that your own doing?"

Without warning, her face went blank and cold.

"Explain."

Word for word, Legolas went over the last moments of their battle, repeating the parts that she did not understand. By the end of it all, her expression was still that of stone.

"Leg-o-las, can you keep secret?"

_Secret?_

"That depends on the secret, I suppose," he jested, but her expression soon sobered his mood.

"Yes, of course I can."

She relaxed visibly, slouching in her previously rigid posture.

"Remember box?"

He did; it was after the battle that had claimed Boromir.

_The only semblance of luggage or supplies the vile creatures had brought with them was in the form of two crates; one thick and broad, the other slightly smaller._

"In box, was silver?"

_Silver?_

_Chains of silver, looping and twisting hideously over her small limbs._

"Avien not-touch."

"Pardon?"

"Cannot touch," she continued, her eyes pleading with him to figure it out. It was so frustrating to stumble about her words like some toddler trying to explain a simple concept to a particularly dense grown-up. It irked her patience to no end to be limited so.

"Freeze, like in box, not-move."

He was at a loss. did she mean that she had been frozen, or was this some form of magic?

It was obvious that he did not understand. Rima sighed.

"Legolas, give brooch," she ordered, pointing sharply to the delicately curved beech leaf gracing his cloak.

"I beg your pardon?" he looked taken aback by her request.

She rolled her eyes, hand still outstretched.

"I give back, pass now."

With deftly-moving fingers, the small Elvish pendant was soon pressed firmly into her warm palm. Legolas sat back, waiting calmly for a reaction.

Nothing happened.

When she made no move to recoil her arm, he began to feel awkward.

_What is she doing now?_

Minutes passed. Rima did not even flinch. He was beginning to feel worried.

"Rima?"

He shook her shoulder.

"Rima? Are you alright? Gwael?"

He gave her a solid hit on the back, but she did not flinch to right herself as se began to tilt.

Legolas watched in horror as her rigid form wobbled for the slightest of seconds before twisting, and falling directly off the tower's edge, plummeting unnumbered feet to the unforgiving ground below.

…...

_**CLIFFIE! **_**(Literally. XD) Anyhow, as I mentioned, I'm looking for someone to Beta for me. Any volunteers? DON'T LEAVE ME HANGING! 8D**

**Oh, and while I'm talking, I'd like to thank my loyal reviewers. It makes my ay so much better to know that people like what I do, and even if you don't particularly like it, it's still good to hear critique. REVIEW!**


	24. Crowd

Hullo! Just wanna thank **GSEfan25** for volunteering to Beta this chapter! You rock!

(It's a bit short, but I deny having written a filler. I don't write fillers, I write the fatty delicious cream-stuff that people sometimes put in cake. Same thing, but so much more fun to eat. :D Ignore that, I'm batshit crazy. Pardon my French.)

…...

At the last possible second, the elf lunged to the edge of the tower, grabbing Rima's uninjured arm as she fell. He let out a gasp; it felt as if his arm was about to be pulled from its socket.

She hung in the air for a moment, still frozen with empty eyes, before he gave a great heave and pulled her back up. Unstable by the sudden shift of balance, Legolas fell to is back, Rima sprawling out on top of him.

There was a faint _clink_ as the silver-edged brooch fell from her hand and onto the flat stone of the tower next to him.

Despite his discomfort at the close contact that he was all to aware of, the Elf made no move to push Rima off. Instead, he let out a long, shaky breath that he was not even aware of holding in.

_That could have ended badly._

Looking up, his eyes connected with the now-conscious violet irises of the Avian's. Fury burned in their depths, laced with faint traces of shaky nervousness.

_Maybe I should not have pushed so hard._

He attempted an apologetic expression.

"Rima,-"

_***CRACK***_

Rima's hand connected solidly with is face, leaving an uncharacteristically livid pink mark across his jaw line. A sharp sting traced the handprint.

He opened his eyes to look back to her, mildly surprised by her reaction.

"STUPID ELF!"

He arched his brow questioningly at her phrasing, but otherwise withheld response.

"WHY PUSH OFF TOP? YOU KNOW NOT FLY! YOU THINK SALAMANDER, PIECE GROW BACK? STUPID, STUPID, STUPID ELF! POINTY-EAR STONEHEAD!"

Rima glared down at him, apparently done.

"Rima?"

Her frown deepened.

"What?"

He smirked.

"Would you mind getting off? You are crushing my ribs."

Her angry expression melted away into an obvious embarrassment, and she scrambled awkwardly to her feet. She watched silently as he copied her movements, stepping back.

"Are you alright?"

Rima nodded.

"I am… So-r-ry, Legolas."

"It is alright."

He turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Without warning, the Avian lunged towards him, making him flinch defensively.

He soon found himself wrapped in an unprecedented bear hug, crushing his ribcage for the second time that afternoon.

"Sorry," she whispered.

The moment passed, and she jumped back, averting her eyes and blushing furiously.

"Rima?"

Her gaze drifted over the horizon, stopping on some distant point on the hills.

"Aragorn is back."

Without another word, she brushed past him, drawing her cloak around herself to shield her face as she descended the cold grey steps to the bustling halls below.

_Wait… Aragorn?_

"Rima!"

It was too late; already her retreating figure was gone, swallowed by the crowd.

Legolas stared blankly after her, more confused than ever.

…...

Mmmmm…. Cake. Again, thanks to GSEfan25! I couldn't find the missing O error, though. Sorry. It's like a 'Where's Waldo' page, except Waldo has decoys that all look the same! Stupid Waldo.

BTW, I just recently realized that you need to write disclaimers in fanfic stories. Personally, this seems a bit stupid, seeing as this IS a 'FAN-FICTION' site, but who am I to question the ways of the universe? Wait… what? It wasn't the universe's idea? So… it was someone less important than the universe? Oh, I know, The president! The pope? The navy? The army? Bill Gates? No? huh. What about that guy across the street from me who sometimes leaves deer meat for my grandparents? Huh. Oh well. I'm sure they're very important. Alright, I do not own J.R.R. Tolkein or his work. Only Rimala here.

REVIEW IF YOU LIKE FRUIT!


	25. War

"Le ab-dollen." _You're late._

Aragorn paused in mid-stride, giving the Elf time do give him a quick once-over.

"You look terrible."

There was a short silence, and the man ended it with a tired but grateful laugh.

There was a quiet tinkle as Legolas handed a small trinket to him.

Aragorn looked upon it appreciatively.

"Hannon le," _Thank you,_ he remarked quietly, and turned to enter the king's hall. Legolas followed swiftly behind.

Rima grinned at the exchange, understanding the depth of the seemingly offhand conversation.

_Silly men. Always saying less than _they_ mean._

A loud, painful _**Cr-eeeeeeak**_ heralded Aragorn and Legolas' entrance, and Rima positioned a hand to shield her ears from the brunt of it.

_King Th__éoden would do well to purchase some oil for those hinges._

She winced again as the doors slammed shut, and repositioned herself for the ensuing report.

At seeing the Ranger's return, Rima had been glad for his apparent good fortune, but she had felt an immediate sense of urgency. Assuming that something was about, she had followed the man halfway through the keep, before predicting the destination he was heading to and slipping past, unnoticed.

She knew very well what a man's basic views of a woman in battle would be, and she had no intention of being left out. That meant taking a practical, albeit somewhat unorthodox, approach to being included.

Nobody in the hall had noticed her presence, of that she was confident. After all, who in a hall of men, let alone the king's keep, would possibly be insane or clever enough to sneak past the king's guard and a squadron of onlookers to eavesdrop on a debate that had not yet taken place?

Now, compacted into a tight fetal position, she wondered whether or not she actually was insane.

_I must be to choose such an uncomfortable spot._ _Oh, one of the spacious areas under a table or behind a suit of armor would have sufficed, but no, I had to cram myself into a rafter._

Down far below, she could hear Théoden marveling at the human's survival.

Rima sighed and shifted in irritation, impatient for some actual information.

A splinter wedged itself into a particularly uncomfortable place, and she bit back a rather colorful outburst.

She shifted back quickly, and almost missed the old king's outburst.

"Ten Thousand!"

_Ten thousand URUKS?_

Losing her footing in sheer shock, the auburn-haired Avien tipped backwards, just managing to save herself from falling to the solid stone below by wrapping her legs tightly around the (Thankfully) sturdy wooden beam. Nobody noticed, for they all continued to stare openly at Aragorn in slack-jawed disbelief.

_Don't let me fall, don't let me fall,_ she prayed silently. A single bead of sweat trailed down her back as Aragorn responded. His tone was grave, but did not waver.

"They will arrive ere the sun sets."

Théoden looked lost. His pale blue eyes, like the sky over the ocean on a cold morning, grew grey and somber as he pondered this new doom that threatened his people.

In the tense silence, Rima became aware that she was holding her breath, but still she could not force herself to exhale in such an untimely situation.

At last, he mustered the courage to administer his final decision.

"Prepare for battle."

…...

_IKNOWIKNOWIKNOW I__** KNOW **_it was too short, but I felt it needed to be separate from the other one. Don't worry, I'll get some action again soon. REVIEW! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! It makes me feel all fuzzy inside. X)

REVIEW!

_( '_') _ (HUGGLEBUNNY WANTS A NEW-YEARS HUG!)


	26. Room

**THUNK.**

Rima landed solidly on the top of a wooden table, not as gracefully as she would have hoped.

_Ow._

She raised her head, groaning quietly.

_I'm glad I missed the floor._

She clambered to her feet, glad that the men in the room had left before they could witness her embarrassment.

She pulled her hood over her face to shadow her eyes, preparing to exit the chamber, when a firm hand closed itself around her shoulder.

Fortunately, the owner of the hand managed to dodge her reflex punch, as it was, in fact someone she would rather not engage in combat.

"Aragorn."

He responded with a scowl.

"You should not be here."

She mirrored his expression perfectly, irritated by his interference.

"I will fight," she stated, unwilling to allow him to corner her with questions and twisted reasoning.

"You will not."

She stepped back angrily, pulling out of his grip.

"Aragorn, I know how fight. I know how live."

"I do not deny that you have skill in combat, Rima. But I is not your place to be in battle. It is no place for a lady."

She laughed, startling the taller man.

"Aragorn, how old you?"

"That is my business."

His answer surprised her, but she continued regardless.

"Hu-man, I have seen more batt-le than your great-great-grandfathers," she hissed, trying to knock his train of thought off-balance.

"How you think I earn life? Peo-ple pay for war." The wording was flawed, but the message was clear. She ad fought for pay before.

His mood did not make any visible change; it seemed her past was a minor detail in his view.

"Regardless to your skills, I would rather you did not take part in this conflict," he stated, more an order than a request.

"There is more to this than just your own survival. Give me your word that you will stay in the caves."

_K__ëfes? Damn common!_

She hated to ask, for it would lower her standing in the argument and would interrupt her point entirely, but it was frustrating to be in the dark all the time.

"What is Këfes?"

"Holes in the rock. The women and children will be safe there, as will you."

Aragorn did not dodge in time for her second punch.

Before the Avian could pull back to make another swing though, the man tugged her arm and twisted it behind her back in a painful lock. She attempted to distract him into letting go by flapping her wing, but it tangled in the cloak, and he only had to twist harder until she froze completely.

"Let go," she growled from clenched teeth.

Damn, it hurt.

"Do you give me your word?"

Another sharp jolt radiated down her back.

"Let go."

Without warning, he yanked the hood over her face, and steered her in darkness through the doors into the disorienting chaos of yelling warriors, crying women, keening children, and various other ear-splitting noises. As she stumbled through the keep, she could almost feel the curious stares the two of them were attracting. How dare this… stone-headed, pipsqueak, bothersome, do-gooder, _mortal_ embarrass her so?

"Aragon," she gritted. "When you let go, I hurt you."

Finally, after what seemed to be hours, the light dimmed and they reached the mystery destination.

In one fluid motion, the ranger pushed Rima into a vacant area, slamming a door shut behind her.

Rima removed her hood and turned, and was met by the damp stone walls of an abandoned chamber. Aragorn could be seen through a small slit in the top of the door, but it was too small to stick her whole arm through, and he was wisely standing just barely out of her reach. This, she supposed later, was probably a good thing. Otherwise, she would probably have attempted another blow to his face.

"I am sorry, Rima," he offered, watching her try to turn the handle.

"As I said, there is more to your participation than just your skill."

Oh, _This_ was simply SPLENDID.

He turned to leave.

"Wait! Wait! No leave!"

She swiped her palm along her back, wiping some blood from her re-opened scar.

"Look! I get water?" she tried hopefully.

He hesitated, but refused.

"I will send in someone later."

"Aragon," Her voice was at a deadly calm, reminiscent of a crocodile watching it's prey descend to the shoreline. The blood trickling down her back was forgotten, seeing as it was minor, and no longer to her advantage.

"I will get out. When I do, I kill you."

The human gave a sad smile.

"I hope that I will be here so that you may try."

He walked away, leaving a livid Rima behind.

The situation seemed somewhat familiar.

…...

You know what? I'm not even going to apologize for this. It's short, It's awkward, it's…. I dunno, lots of stuff. But not long. Blaaaugh. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth like drinking milk before going to bed. Ick. Please review? I'd like some advice on how to do the battle scene! If I decide to do a sequel, I think I might have a plot going. Maybe. But I _DO _need some suggestions. Mainly, names.

HEADS UP, EVERYONE!

I want to do a sequel of this for _Return Of The King_, and after that, maybe a prequel, but I'm going to add a character soon, and I need a name. Don't worry, she is NOT going to be romantically interested in the Man, the Dwarf, _or_ the Elf, so don't give her an ugly name out of jealousy. (That's what I do with characters I don't like. XP)

For a style, think pretty, but not gorgeous, tough, but not mean, slight Napolion complex, blond, and badass in a sweet way.

Think Luna Lovegood/Winry Rockbell/Wolverine-female/Pixie. With a bit of Ed E. on top.

(Remember, female. I'm just doing characteristics. Can you actually imagine a PHYSICAL embodiment of those people? Jeez, it'd be like a blond, short biker with gaudy clothes and metal bits everywhere an' spiked hair, and it'd wave a wrench around screaming stupid stuff like, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MICROSCOPIC FLEA, BUB?" *Flies away on magical sparkly wings* "RAAAAAAAAAAARG, DON'T BREAK AUTOMAIL, MAGNITO! Hey look, a Fitter-splitted Narflog…."

XD I'm insane.


	27. Swallow

Oh. My. God. Alright, before you kill me for leaving you all hanging, I'd like to give my reasons for taking so long to update. To but it bluntly, weird shit's going down. I live in a community of 2,000 people in a rainforest town, and in the last few months there's been 4 earthquakes, 1 blizzard, 1 thunderstorm so bad school was closed, 2 power outages, 2 school gas leaks, 6 confirmed suicides, (May they rest in peace), my dog died, and my aunt got a 6-day-to-live cancer sentence that turned out to be only a day. Yeah, odd shit. So, please forgive how long this has taken, and please don't kill me. Enjoy! :D

(Yeah, I noticed the three sixes, but there's also a four, two ones, and two twos, so let's not chalk that up to superstition, please.)

_Damn that human. Damn, damn, damn. Curse the pig-headedness of men! I have lived on my own just fine since before his birth, and he has the nerve to make me hide in the darkness like some sort of helpless child, while he runs off to defend the keep? Never!_

Rima paced in the darkness, occasionally punching the door in her anger.

The small, splintery eye-slit in the top of the door allowed little light to pass through, and despite the lack of windows, she knew it to be nearing dusk. The armies of Sauron had not yet been spotted by the sentries, but their approach could still be felt trough her hollow bones as sure and inevitable as the night. It sent a prickling sort of ice through her dusty feathers, making them ache and long for flight, as they had in battles past. She hated being held back, not being allowed to fight as her instincts told her to. It was in her nature to defend hers and her own, as deeply ingrained as the nature of a swallow to defend it's nest. Even through her underlying uneasiness of most humans in general, this nest was meant to be defende, and defend it she would. The very idea of simply rolling over and letting things happen…

It made her feel restless. The longer she paced, the more flustered her thoughts became. Ever closer grew the enemy, and what could she do but circle it?

_If only I could get to my gear, I already have my antler and Dee-kans… But right now, I would trade both knives for a well-sharpened rip-disk. How easily would it slice through the oak of the door…?_

She halted in mid-pace, struck by a sudden inspiration.

_Through the door?_

Energized by a new hope, Rima dove for the great wooden structure, searching with her fingers for the slight crease between the mortar and the wood. Finding it, she held back a great whoop of triumph.

The lock was probably simple, a single iron latch that would hook onto a clasp just parallel to the handle. Despite Aragorn's usual thorough minded efficiency the human had not confiscated her daggers, and by prying at the wood while using the stone bricks of the wall as a lever, it would be a simple enough job to whittle a small space to flick open the lock.

Grinning wickedly, Rima brushed a long strand of tawny hair from her eyes as she eagerly began her work.

_When next I see that infuriating human,_ she promised to herself as she sawed through the sturdy planks, _I will not hesitate to break his nose._

Legolas looked up from is pack as Aragorn entered the armory. He had been preparing for the inevitable battle that would soon begin, along with the bustling men that crowded around him in the too-small room, when a tense and uncomfortable sense enveloped him.

"Man le trasta, mellon?" _What troubles you, friend?_

At the sound of his voice, several villagers looked up from their business, many having never heard the Sindarin tongue spoken in their lifetimes. The Ranger however, made a visible effort to relax and wipe the last traces of anxiety from his worry-lined face. Still, there remained behind his storm-blue eyes the lingering remnants of anxiety.

"Nothing of consequence, a simple matter."

He leaned to the side to peer past him at a sudden point of interest.

"Gimli, what is it that you are doing?"

The dwarf in question was currently wedged halfway into a closet, and was muttering angrily what Legolas assumed to be less than polite adjectives describing his exact troubles with the uncomfortably small space.

"Damned…Small…Men… Why is it there is no proper mail to be found in this god-forsaken, mouldy pile of rub-"

He was quickly cut off by a warning hiss from Aragorn, alerting him to the fact that his heated mutterings were beginning to attract and cause less-than-hopeful looks from the crowd of downtrodden men surrounding them.

"Do not speak so rashly, Gimli," he whispered, after the despairing regards turned back to readying for the upcoming battle.

"Fear is a ravenous enemy, do not fuel it with doubt."

His voice, although not unkind, had a firm tone beneath it, unwilling to compromise the matter.

Gimli promptly fell silent, but Legolas spoke, that same tone was mirrored with frustration and despair.

"Yes, they are afraid."

His friend sighed, closing his eyes as once again, the room fell into a tense silence.

Noticing this and feeling slightly foolish for it, he switched back to his native tongue.

"Boe a hyn," _And they should be, _he muttered.

"Neled herain, dan caer menig!"_ Three hundred, against ten thousand!_ By now, his normally serene voice had raised to an angry shout, and even the listeners at the farthest ends of the area could hear, although the language was meaningless to them. Still, his implications were not passed by.

He groaned, turning to the wall. His shoulders slumped, and he took a deep breath.

His following words were calm, yet it seemed to his friends to retain a certain sadness.

"Aragorn, nedin dagor hen ú-'erir ortheri. Natha daged dhaer."

_Aragorn, they cannot win this war. They are all going to die._

"_**Then I shall die as one of them!"**_

The furious response of the man was both unnerving and unexpected, and the elf very nearly fell over turning around, only to catch a final glance at his back disappearing into the next storeroom.

He couldn't help but feel that he had managed to make bad matters worse.

Yeah, too short, but I've been holding onto the start of this one since before Christmas, and it's been slowly eating away at my soul since. Iwas in such a hurry to update, I totally skipped past Beta. SORRYSORRYSORRY! I hope it wasn't too awful.

_**VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE:**_

**Some of you guys have been wondering what Rima looks like, so I finally got around to sketching her out! 8D! If you wanna see her, you can either look me up on Deviantart, I'm 'SuburbanCoyote'. She's under the title 'Rima'. :D If you have an account, or any requests,please leave a message! I'll try to update soon! : )**


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